Burn it Black
by TwitchyEars007
Summary: Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives’ knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fireice apparition. Hieioc
1. Forever's Price

**Burn it Black** (Summary): Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives' knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fire/ice apparition. Hieioc

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, only my characters and the plot. They'll be named as they come into play.

_"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark"--unknown_

_---Renovated--- _Yes, I've redone this first chapter, and will also redo the next couple. Because I know they had a lot of errors. Well, I also noticed that I had a bunch of readers in the first chapter, but that decreased noticeably when I got to the second, and to the third. By then I got a view of who was gonna stay with me. So I hope you guys will give this a second chance!

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Burn it Black 

Ch. 1- Forever's Price

永久に価格

Every curse has it's blessing…

I sat on the rooftop yet again, the night sky silently singing it's sad song in cool wisps. My black colored hair swayed in the breeze, tickling my face as it cast a dark shadow over it as crimson colored irises watched carefully the land surrounding my house, my land… _my prison_.

"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark," I recited as cherry blossom leaves tumbled in front of me. I drummed my fingers along the tiles of the roof, and the corners of the soft, pink things blackened and burned. In a burst of dark fire, they crumbled to hot ashes.

I caught them in my hands before they could be pulled away from the wind. Their warm temperature sent tingles across my palms. I glanced at my nails. They were so long I called them claws, and my fingertips nowhere near hid the tips. The ashes softly faded in my face, that warm sensation the only thing I could feel, or have felt, for quite some time.

I rekindled them with a flame again; the same dark purple and black replacing what was naturally red or orange by the mortal flame standards. By this light I knew one could see my pale skin, and compared to humans, I was only 16 in appearance. But then again, I was a far cry from what anyone could call human. My eyes were a deep garnet color and the black pupils were slit, the most common sign of a demon. Then there were my black ears, tall and pointed. They were so different from any other human world animal that one couldn't even compare them to a wolf or fox.

The breeze picked up, and the ashes freely lifted themselves and carried off into the dark, lonely night. It was a strong gust, picking up some of my white shirt and tugging it over my lap. It was a quaint top, sleeveless with two long slits up the sides. That way I could reach my Sais without having trouble with my shirt. The sheathes were safely tucked behind a tawny belt I wore under my shirt. My pants were the traditional fighting style, and just a plain black color. Usually I didn't wear shoes, so the also black boots were inside the house.

"The last words to bind me for so many bitter years alone," I whispered, musing the incident too realistically.

_He had an insane smile, dripping with blood from severe internal wounds._

I flexed my claws as I remembered the junction between the neck and the shoulder. Such a tender exposure…

_He had unmanaged white hair, so long that they covered his eyes and most of his face. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me against the house with a terrible strength._

_Then he whispered those eternity-bidden words into my ear, and in an attempt to match them in blood I bit into his wrist. I had rummaged through his books before. I knew if I presented enough blood to the hex before it was completed I could reverse it. The man's insane smile grew as I hit the bone, trying to rip it out… Suddenly my right shoulder burned with unimaginable pain, and I lifted my head and gasped. I could see his smile widen still, the white teeth stained red with malicious blood. _

_A circle formed on the wall behind me, and a black point glowed at the top. Suddenly it moved in swift lines inside the circle, forming a seven-point star, overlapping me. Wrapping me inside. It was a forbidden art that he practiced so recklessly, and a life-long price he had to pay. The seal began to work, stealing my demonic energy and storing it away until I was left with little more then nothing. _

_I fell to my knees, desperately trying to stay awake and gripping my right shoulder. The pain in it returned tenfold, and I screamed with everything I had left in me as a black symbol etched itself in my very skin. It felt like a thousand pieces of glass tearing into my flesh… Before I fell unconscious due to his own bidding, he whispered few words to me. _

_"Don't worry, I'll come back for you in time."_

I reached to my right shoulder, slipping my fingers under the white cloth and running the tips along where I knew the mark still lay. It was the only reminder that I still had a destiny, and that all this time I had to perfect my skill so I'd be prepared for the final battle.

Before I heard their voices, I heard their heartbeats. I flickered my gaze to the forest surrounding my quarter achier square of lush, uncut grass and heard the steady heartbeats of two healthy humans. More discreetly following were two demons. It was odd, finding demons in this part of Japan. But no matter, once this house had its fill of energy I could be set free.

Just the thought of it brought a smile to my lips. It had only been about, oh, two or three centuries ago? Yes, that was about right.

"Besides," I said, "even if they don't suffice the house's needs, I'll at least have myself a tasty snack."

--

"So we've got this plan of yours down, right?" Yusuke asked Kurama.

The redhead sighed and repeated, "We must go to the Eirou House and rescue a young woman by the name of Kumori. She's supposedly a fire demon, so I would think it best that Hiei confront her. She should come with us easily enough, but if for some strange reason she doesn't-"

"We get to kick her butt!" Yusuke said happily, shoving his hands in his pockets and smiling.

Kurama hung his head with a sigh, "Yes… I suppose we do."

"But-!" Kuwabara tried to say.

"Yeah, yeah, we know your code," Yusuke said with irritation, "you can't _fight girls_."

"Exactly! So…what am I doin' here? I've got a major test to study for tomorrow!"

"Oh, shut up," snapped a shadowed apparition as he quickened his pace from behind the orange-haired human, "You probably wouldn't be able to pass the exam anyways."

"Hey, shrimp! You don't like my code? Then get lost!" Kuwabara shouted at the back of Hiei's head.

"Hn. Gladly. Unfortunately, if that empty head of yours has forgotten already, I'm not allowed to."

"Stop it Hiei. We're here anyway," Kurama said gently, and with that the two lifted their heads to the house within the bower.

It was very old, and the wood that lined the walls had almost lost their color entirely. The roof was made of many deep green shingles, and the same color was repeated on the shutters of the few windows. It was only a one-floor house, and no one was in sight.

"Come on, let's check it out," Yusuke said as he cautiously stepped forward. The others followed, watching their footing.

Kurama took in the scenery, his eyes wandering over all the shadows that loomed ominously. They were nearing the entrance, which was a torn screen in front of a wooden door. The screen was pulled to and fro by the strong wind, and every time it was pushed back against the wood it made a loud crack.

Yusuke made an attempt to reach out for it, but Kurama's shout interrupted him.

"Hiei! Watch out!"

I jumped from the rooftop with my Sais directed at the smallest apparition there. He was quick to unsheathe his katana and held me up, but I persisted to press down hard. He took one step back to gain more balance and I raised one of my Sai to hit it against his sword, igniting black sparks. I back flipped off of him and landed neatly on my feet, but Hiei wasn't slow to react. I parried two of his long strokes and sent five toward his stomach, but he took the defense and blocked them. We both jumped away clean, and I took the time to tighten the grip on my hilts. As soon as I did the shafts were engulfed in black fire, and I went for Hiei again. He seemed mildly surprised, but once his katana blocked my Sais again it ignited in mortal fire.

"Ch'. Mortal flame," I mumbled under my breath, humoring the thought. I lashed his katana blade and the fire went out. He frowned and quickened his pace to take offense. I swallowed a lump in my throat as he suddenly upped the tempo considerably and was struggling to match him. Soon shallow cuts began to show on my arms, and my breaths weren't coming easily.

Somewhere in the back I heard, "She isn't able to keep up with Hiei…"

I flickered my gaze to them for a mere moment, drinking in the sight of two humans and a redhead demon. But this caused me to loose concentration, and even for that moment, it could have proven fatal.

Metal dug into my left forearm and dragged upward quickly, bringing with it a strike of blood. I bit my tongue and dropped my left Sai, but Hiei wasn't one to give any mercy. He pushed me on, becoming even faster. I didn't stand a chance, and parrying proved useless. He kept hitting the bleeding skin on my left arm, weakening it noticeably.

"Hiei, that's enough."

His red eyes narrowed at me before he jumped backwards, sheathing his katana. I stood my ground, holding my single Sai in a defensive poise. They stared at me curiously, and I began to wonder where they got that strong.

_If they're this strong what are they doing in the Human world? Why hasn't King Enma captured them? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. They're my problem now._

"What are you four doing here?" I barked and I glared at them as murderously as I could.

"Are you Kumori?" the tall human asked. I looked at him. He wasn't that impressive. Teenager, curly orange hair, stunk of cat.

My foot dug into the wet ground under my feet. I remained silent, baring my fangs slightly.

The redhead sighed. "We just want to help," he said.

"How do you think you can help me?" I asked, disbelieving.

"We're here to rescue you, crazy chick!" the orange haired human said.

I shot a glare at him. "Rescue me? Doubt it."

"But we are," the redhead assured, smiling at me.

I grimaced at him. _If they want to help me…fine. I'll let them. It doesn't make sense, though. What business do they have with me? Or is it business with him?_

"Fine, you got it," I said, standing up. I sheathed my Sai and walked forward cautiously, keeping a weary eye on Hiei. As I bent down to retrieve my other Sai, he frowned down at me, arms crossed. _Cocky little bastard, isn't he?_

I straightened up, flipping my Sais together a few times before properly sheathing them. I looked them all over, trying to measure their spirit energies. I knew the house appreciated spirit energy over demon energy…

My eyes settled on the human, the one who hadn't talked much since we met. He had black hair, tinted with green gel that slicked it back clean. He had brave brown eyes and wore a green school uniform. I measured his amount of spirit energy with care not to overestimate him.

Suddenly I smiled at them and waved a hand toward the door.

"Please, follow me."


	2. Freedom at Last

This one is short. Yes. Very short. But I truly didn't know what else I could possibly add, so I did what I could. I like the content, though. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, AS THEY SAY! R&R, it makes me smile!

Now...

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS!_**

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Burn it Black 

Ch. 2- Freedom at Last

最後の自由

I gently pushed open the loosened wooden door. It creaked loudly and softly tapped against the wooden walls of the inside, scratching stray pebbles and ashes from the gray stone under my feet.

As I walked further in I let go of the door, letting the others hold it for themselves. The entrance was only four feet wide, but after that it opened into a large single room. That was the remainder of the house, and was about thirty-five feet wide and eight feet tall. The walls were made of wood, with large holes at the corners where snakes and rats ran in and out.

To the right of that room was a large metal table with a strange swirling black vortex. Under the table were many skulls, and it was impossible to decipher whether they were human or animal by looking at them. Time had worn them mostly away, leaving the bone dull and yellowed.

Even though that was true, those whom had followed me had other thoughts. I knew what they were thinking. And, they were probably right.

"That vortex over there," I said, pointing my finger at it, "I don't know what it is, but I'm sure that's what keeps the house's force field erect. If one of you could step toward it and try to destroy it, I'm sure I could be set free. After all, that is what you came for, right?" I turned around, facing Yusuke.

As I opened my mouth for a suggestion, the short demon cut me off.

"What? You aren't strong enough to break it yourself?" he teased.

I shot him a glare. "There's a barrier around that as well, spiky."

"Hn!" he scoffed, turning the other way.

I turned back to Yusuke, "You seem like the strongest here, why don't you give it a try?"

"On my way!" he said eagerly, rolling up the sleeves on his jacket.

I heard his friend whisper something to the redhead and twitched my ear to get a better listen. "I dunno…seems suspicious to me. That swirly-thingy… it doesn't feel good."

_Smarter then he looks, I suppose_ I thought, mildly concerned that they'd unravel it quicker then their friend could help me.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the corner of the stone, where the entrance turned into the larger room, watching the willing teenager walk toward what could very well be his demise. Yusuke, that's what they called him, met the barrier with a shocked face.

"W-What the-!" he shouted as he began slipping toward the vortex.

I smiled, flickering away into a shadow across from him. He looked at me with a face of twisted regret. "You witch!" he shouted as he tried to step backward.

"You-! You betrayed Urameshi just like that? He was tryin' to save you!" Kuwabara yelled angrily at me.

"Oh, he's saving me alright," I said with a condescending smile.

"Hurry up and explain!" Yusuke demanded, nearing the metal table slowly.

"That barrier isn't the usual barrier, you see. Instead of expelling an outside force it compels it toward what created it in the first place, that vortex. The rest, I'm sure you've begun to realize already," I explained.

He glared at me as he started to be dragged toward the vortex faster. "This…thing is…sucking in my… spirit energy!" he grunted out.

"Yusuke!" Kurama shouted, "Use your Spirit Gun to destroy the vortex! You should be released then!"

I watched with inclining interest as the human forced his hand upward, into the position a young child would to pretend they were holding a gun. Yusuke's fingertip began to glow, however, and my eyes widened in fascination. In a huge explosion of power, he shot it forward shouting, "Spirit Gun!"

The mass of spirit energy was forced toward the vortex swiftly and made a crackling noise. Yusuke gripped the metal table desperately as winds appeared around the vortex and the magnitude of it increased considerably. The noise inclined to a deafening blare, and I ran behind the barrier with unsheathed Sais.

With a cry of shock the human was shot backward by overpowering winds and passed over my shoulder as I ducked. I watched the barrier shatter to thousands of black shards and become sucked into the vortex.

"That thing is gonna suck up everything!" Kuwabara shouted, stumbling backwards.

_This is it_ I thought and, compelled with the thought of freedom, raced toward the growing vortex. Shouts were drowned out behind me as I reached it, now five feet in diameter.

"HYAAH!" I shouted, thrusting my enflamed Sais across the black mass in an x cut. I tried to step back, a wild smile of my face, but the winds were even more powerful then before and swept my hair over my shoulders.

A moment later the x cut formed again, outlined in garnet red, and the vortex began to swallow itself up. With a final spark of fire, the roaring winds and crackling noise was sucked into the vortex as it disappeared.

I collapsed to the floor, smiling ever so broadly. My Sais were under my numb hands, pressed under the wavering weight of my body. I heard the other's footsteps ricocheted around the walls as they walked toward me.

"…Kumori," Yusuke's voice echoed, "You've gotta come with us. To see this kid, Koenma."

He extended his hand toward me, but a black fire sparked when it reached for me. Yusuke gave a yip of pain and took his hand back. "Hey! What was that! I just saved you!"

"I don't think so," I said, the smile slowly disappearing.

"What…? You aren't gonna come willingly?" Yusuke said.

I flickered into a shadow and reappeared on the other side of the room, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "Why would I?" I asked, "I don't have any reason to go with you."

"Listen Kumori, don't make this harder then it has to be," Kurama coaxed.

"That isn't a reason at all," I said.

"Koenma did say we could use any force necessary," Hiei smirked, unsheathing his katana.

I eyed the weapon cautiously and knew that with anything he did, he would easily win, no matter how little effort he put into it. It was a sharp blade, and I had no way to defend myself. I had absolutely no demon energy left, and had no intention of losing my dignity this easily.

"Feh," I mumbled, and with that dissipated into the shadows. I fell backwards, into the black, and found the picture of those four boys fading into the distance. I groped for a wall, anything to hold onto, knowing well there would be nothing. The Shadow Channel was like a river, pulling me out and away from the shadows that would lead me to the NinjenKai.

_With this little energy left I'll have to fight hard and get to the nearest shadow_ I thought, pulling my feet up and slowly moving forward. It was hard, like walking in knee deep sand, and my body felt like collapsing and not caring where the shadows took me.

But I knew damn well I couldn't. _I just got free, and I can't afford to get lazy so soon_ I thought, and with that thought in mind fought against the pull a little more. Soon I saw the blurry image of a shady metal bench, and smiled.

"Almost…there!" I grunted, pulling forward headstrong. It was close enough to reach out and touch, and as soon as I got there I could recover.

So I closed my eyes and jumped.


	3. Never Underestimate your Opponents

**Burn it Black**(Summary): Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a female demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives' knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fire/ice apparition. Hiei/oc

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, only my characters and the plot.

_"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark"—unknown_

Note: Damn it people! _Reviewing_ once in a while wouldn't hurt! Of course, thank you to those who _did_ take the five seconds it took to press a damn button and type _something_. Hell, I wouldn't care if you put, 'Horrible'. Well, maybe a bit, but _still_. AUGH! You people are driving me CRAZY! More crazy then I need to be, but look. I DID update, see? So, please think about all the attempts you could try and write this in, like, two days and _review_. I like it when people do. I really _really_ like it. Food for though, ne:sigh: ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS!

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**Never Underestimate your Opponents**

I landed out on the side of a road and my head hit the pebble-dusted grass. "Great, just my luck," I mumbled sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at God knows what as I wobbly got to my legs, which, by the way, felt like Jell-O. I closed my eyes as a migraine split my head in two. In my blinded pain, I reached out with my hands in hope of resting on a tree.

Something cool slid under my fingertips. I smiled when I ran my hands up and down the newfound bar. It's a bench. I opened my eyes a bit and see the metal bench that I've never been so happy to see before.

"I love benches," I said happily as I staggered to the most comfortable looking piece of crap that I'd find for miles, it seemed. Sure, it may be rusted and sure, it may have bird droppings in a few places but right now I _didn't care_. All I knew was that there was something that would, hopefully, support my weight.

After a few minutes of staggering, falling, and incoherent grunts of curses, I finally found a position that was most comfortable. My head was resting against the arm of the bench and my legs spread out across the seat.My black hair wrapped around me and my mellow crimson eyes weakly watched ahead of me. Down the long, winding paved road that came from nowhere and led nowhere.

A deep sigh turned into a tongue-curling yawn, and after it ended I found myself settling down for sleep. I'm usually a very light sleeper, so occasionally I woke up to the fall of a branch or the scurrying of a rabbit that looked particularly tasty, but I ignored my animalistic desires as best I could.

"Hey, what's that over there?"

I froze. Was that a voice? A human voice?

"I think it's a girl. Our age, too."

"Ooh, let's have us some fun!"

"Sounds like a good idea."

I rolled over and saw a pack of five human boys, all about 16 or 17 years of age. They looked particularly strong, by human standards of course. The supposed leader walked across the street and toward me. I sat up and went to walk up and slit his throat, but then I grunted as I felt a wound reopen on my side. I hurriedly place my hands on it and pressed, all the while cursing under my breath.

_Dammit_, I though, _I must've not noticed when Hiei nicked me. My, this isn't going well._

"Hey, what's up girlie?" someone asked as I felt a finger under my chin turn my head upward. I soon came face-to-face with the leader, who I could now see well. He had black hair and hazel eyes, and a cut along the side of his face. He was smiling a perverted smile, and it made me want to whack him. And I really, really wanted to. So I did.

_**SLAP**_

That was my first mistake.

There was a resounding choir of gasps from the four on the other side of the road, and the man from before was kneeling on the grass spitting out blood and a tooth or two. His angry eyes flashed up to me, and I inwardly got a bit worried.

"What did you just do?" he asked with a deathly venom to his voice. I didn't answer, but instead snaked my hands along my sides for my weapons. If I opened my wound more by fighting, so be it.

"I asked a question, wench! Answer!" he shouted as he stood up. He quickly grabbed a hold of my chin and pulled my head upward. His grip was rather rough.

"Because you aren't my type," I said coolly.

That was my second mistake.

His glare hardened and he punched the left side of my face. My head rocked to the side from the force of the blow, making me loose my balance and flip over on my side again.

I closed my eyes and bit my tongue to fight the stinging pain on the side of my face. After all, it was a no win situation. Snickers echoed around me as the four crossed the street. My head was pounding, and I couldn't concentrate, so I couldn't rely on the shadows for any help.

"We still gonna have our fun, Zaku?"

"Shut your face. I'll have my own fun," he snapped.

"Aaaw, but I _need_ to have some fun."

"Not that kind, asshole."

"Oh…"

I shook my head and sat up, a new glare flared on my face. The boys all turned to me, curious. Curiosity killed the cat. My hair spread out as a dark essence glazed over my eyes as I unsheathed my Sais and got off the bench. The four stared at me in shock, until Zaku shook out of it.

"She can't handle those," he decided as he unsheathed a large kitchen knife. My glare softened to a black stare, and I started to circle the human. He followed my pattern, twirling his knife with a lack of experience, thus proving more deadly then he thought it was.

"Do you even know how to wield that?" I sneered.

"Let me show you," he growled as he flung himself at me. I back stepped and missed the swipe clean, and he cut upward. I ducked and thrust my hand forward and cut him across the chest. He grunted and tried to kick me away, but I was too quick.

I flickered into a shadow, now that my concentration was forced into battle and survival, and was suddenly behind Zaku. He looked over his shoulder in shock and I glared, cutting him across his back and kicking the back of his shin. He stumbled forward and nearly to his knees, but caught his balance the last second.

"Get out, now," I spat as I prepared to sheathe my weapons. A pair of hands grabbed my arms and forced them behind my back uncomfortably, and another pair jerked my Sais from my grip. I struggled against them as one of the four boys took a rope and tied my ankles together quicker then I anticipated a human could. With a push from behind, I fell forward and closed my eyes as I hit the hard earth.

"Say goodnight, girlie," was the last thing I heard before something slammed into my head, sending me into a black bliss, unaware that these boys had plans of their own that included me.

--

Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara were all sitting in a local library, at a wooden circle table. Hiei was standing against a wall, beside a glass window. It was raining, and pattered against the stained glass in a steady rhythm. Hiei was watching the humans discuss about the woman from earlier, occasionally adding his own two cents.

Kurama began explaining, "So, Kumori can travel through the shadows due to a power of hers called, well, Shadowing. It means that she can willingly enter shadows. Depending on how fast she does this, it can make her seem like she's melting into the floor or just disappear, though it takes much mental discipline."

Kuwabara spoke up next, "Where does she go when she's in the shadows? Like, does she see anything or what?"

Kurama cleared his throat, "She enters something called the Darkness Realm-."

"Wait," Yusuke interrupted, "I've heard of this before…give me a second. I've got it!"

_This was a while ago, when Yusuke had just discovered that there were indeed two other parallel universes. He was only too painfully aware of one, the ReiKai, or Spirit World. He had been looking up on a child named Shota. Yusuke had helped him through a tough time when his dog, Jiro, had died, and was checking up on his buddy. Then Yusuke found out that a girl named Sayaka was dragging Shota's soul to her when he slept. Botan had informed Yusuke of this danger. _

_"It's damaging him, as though his body's slowly being cut up by a knife that causes no pain. If this continues, his body's going to fail." At this, Yusuke instantly jumped into action to save the boy from his fate, only to find that Sayaka's loneliness enforced her gauge of power, and proved too strong for Yusuke. Then Botan told him something else…_

_"Sayaka's longings have intensified o take on traces of resentment and evil. She's **dangerous**. She only wants a friend, but that's causing her to drag someone else down with her. If they try to enter heaven like that, they'll be lost to a realm of Darkness, a purgatory of souls where no light ever shines though. I would think it's worse then Hell."_

"That's it, isn't it?" Yusuke asked, excited he had remembered all that.

"I believe so," Kurama mumbled as he thought it over.

"Wait, I don't understand something," Kuwabara cut in, "Why would someone want to enter that kind of place every time they move into the shadows? Why would any **sane** person want to go someplace worse then Hell so many times a day? And at night, too?"

"Apparitions do what they need to survive. If you're anywhere for long enough you learn to adapt. You, on the other hand, have always this stupid," Hiei said offhand from the other side of the room.

Kuwabara sent a glare in his general direction, but kept his mouth shut. He had other things to worry about other then a certain 4'11" demon. Even if he did deserve a good whacking upside the head…

"Please, Hiei, we're trying to collaborate and finish this mission as quickly as we can. Kuwabara, good job. Silence is golden," Kurama praised him.

As Kuwabara beamed, Hiei couldn't help but ruin the moment. After all, someone had to do it, and he thought it his personal job at times.

"What, are you going to throw him a bone now?" he sneered.

Kuwabara turned toward him. "Shut up, pipsqueak! At least _I_ use my brain!"

"What brain?" Hiei asked dryly.

"Why you-!"

"Brawl later, think now," said Yusuke as he leaned on the back legs of his chair. He sent a startling glare at both of the men to tell them to shut up immediately. He was getting a headache just hearing their constant bickering.

Silence followed. Kurama sighed in relief. "Finally, some silence…"

"Now, where were we?" Yusuke asked. "We've got how she works down, now we've got to think about how to get her."

"I believe I have a solution," Kurama said, "I was studying those Sais that she left behind at the house, and I found she's not only a shadow demon, but also a fire one. There are traces of ash and places where the blade is melted slightly. Therefore, if my deductions prove to be true, she should be susceptible to water and light. In other words, get her out on a rainy day and she shouldn't be able to go in the shadows or use her fire techniques. Leaving her nearly completely human."

"Man, I love the way you think!" Yusuke shouted as he stood off his chair and threw an arm around the redhead's neck.

Kuwabara smiled. "That shouldn't be too hard, either. It's the beginning of the rainy season already."

Kurama grinned unsurely as Yusuke began to grind his fist against his head. "Um, I'm, ouch, glad you like the plan."

Just then, something in Yusuke's pants went off. He reached inside and grabbed a compact and opened the screen. His boss was sitting on the other side, looking into the screen intently.

"You got a problem or somethin'?" Yusuke asked irritability.

"No, you do," he replied. "I've found Kumori's current location. A pack of humans have taken her to the Café Half Dead…"

Yusuke's eyes widened. That wasn't good news. Last time he went there, it was to save Keiko from a few thugs that almost had their way with her.

"Oh, that ain't good," Kuwabara pointed out. "I heard about the new gangsters that took over that place. I'm telling you right now, they're ten times worse then Dai and his clowns that lived there once upon a time. The new leader's name is Satsujinki, and he's seen more then his fair share of blood shed. Urameshi, I'm tellin' you right now; he's as ruthless as Hiei and fights like a demon."

Back from the compact, Koenma responded, "Indeed. That was going to be your next mission. Satsujinki is indeed a demon. Get your butts into gear and move it before he kills Kumori! If she dies, you fail your mission. Now go!"


	4. 74 Year Murder

**Burn it Black(**Summary): Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a female demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives' knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fire/ice apparition. Hiei/oc

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, only my characters and the plot.

_"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark"--unknown_

Worthless Note: I do believe the wonderful comments given to me do need some recognizing.

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Ah yes..._Fred_...

YES. I UPDATED. FINALLY. Thank you for...telling me my tenses behaved very well. And if I do say so myself, I think you did a stupendous job at attempting to be somewhat sane...

...Yeah

So, with my idiotic ramblings out of the way, I can announce my 'oh so famous' line...

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS!_ **

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I was pushed into a busted up black leather seat that looked as if it'd be ripped apart by a pack of wild animals. I didn't doubt the truth was far from that. I growled and pulled at the binds around my wrists and someone punched me in the side of the face. I bared my fangs and glared up in the near-darkness at who it was wanted so badly to die.

Two fierce dark orange eyes glared down at me, a bloodied fist held up in the air. I turned to the side and spit out a wad of blood. Silence passed between me and the new pair of eyes as an unspoken war ignited. Placing two demons in the same room is like pitting two pitbulls in a fighting pen together, and usually came with the same bloody ending.

He was a demon. I could smell it. I could _feel_ it on his skin when he punched me.

A spark burst into flames from the other side of the room, yet our gaze stood unwavering. With the firelight brought new features that I had ignored until that moment. He had dark brown hair that hung limply around his face, and a long scar ran over his right eye, yet he saw out of it without a problem, it seemed. Finally someone spoke.

"Where'd you find her?" the demon demanded.

"Behind the forest on a bench. Abandoned, it looked like. Or she ran away."

"Broke through the barrier," he whispered.

"What?" Zaku asked.

"Shut up!" the demon shouted as he punched him square in the jaw. Even as his man stood on the floor in a crumpled pile of blood and flesh, the demon simply turned back to me. He did nothing to help his sideman, who, as far as I could tell, must've had a broken jaw.

"What do you want here?" he commanded.

I stared at him for a moment more and silently rubbed the robes around my wrists together again. "I was brought through the barrier a century ago. The rest is history," I mumbled.

Whispers echoed in the empty space and bounced back, and I mapped out the room. It was fairly large, with many small rooms leading off. My ear twitched to the side as a man began talking. Suddenly the man before me grabbed a painfully rough hold on my ear and tugged at it.

"Careful. Ears can get you killed," he told me. I closed my left eye in discomfort and rubbed my wrists together again. They were starting to come loose…

In my current position, I couldn't just burn through the ropes and hope to get out. I woke up just moments before, and had no idea how I got here. So breaking free now would prove pointless and probably get me deeper in trouble. How'd I get in this mess? Ah, I was trying to sleep…

"I'm talking to the wench alone," the demon commanded.

A series of nods and other positive answers followed, and everyone moved along without question. Then it was just he and I, sitting alone in a black room with smoldering embers in the background. Perfect. The demon stared up at me from his sitting position on the floor. His eyes told me he was cutthroat, and his previous actions warned me of how dominating he could be. I was screwed.

"So why are you really here?" he asked a bit more softly.

"Because your rag dolls didn't play fair," I said coolly.

The demon smiled a broad smile at me as he stood up. As he shifted toward me, the flickering embers that had been sparked to life suddenly died, leaving us in complete darkness. My black pupils quickly reacted and slit to turn silver, thus making my vision as clear as if it was day.

The orange-eyed demon grabbed a rough hold on my chin and forced me to look directly into his eyes. I noticed a spark of electricity flicker for a moment as he said, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" I found the familiarity with him also and studied his face. For a few moments of intense gazing and hearing the rain pounding on the brickwork of the building, my eyes widened considerably.

My trembling lips parted to utter in a quivering voice, "Satsujinki."

--

The four Spirit Detectives walked toward a gray brick building cautiously, expecting something to jump out at them at any given moment. After a moment, however, Kuwabara ran toward a small sign. Bending down, he read it aloud, "Café Half Dead-B1"

"We can all read, fool," Hiei said as he passed the blue-uniformed man and proceeded toward the empty hallway that lead downward. Kurama, however, placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Hiei turned around sharply and pushed his hand away. "What is it?" he asked angrily.

"We shouldn't be so lenient with our actions. If Satsujinki were a demon, he would have set up traps, or at least a lookout."

"Or maybe he's just really confident," Yusuke said as he walked past Hiei and Kurama. Hiei grunted and turned to follow him. Kurama sighed and began to do so as well, until Kuwabara stopped them.

"Wait, I've picked up something interesting," he said as he stood up and closed his eyes. This gave everyone the opportunity to turn and see why he had stopped their intrusion. Kuwabara reopened his eyes and said seriously, "Kumori's spirit energy is down, and there's another that's able to overpower her now. Everybody else is in the hallway, waiting to go back in the room where Kumori and the demonic energies are coming from. I think she's in trouble."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yusuke said as he started outright running down the hallway without any specifically evasive plan of action in mind.

"I wouldn't care if we failed this particular mission," Hiei mumbled as he began to warily walk down the first few steps. "She's too much trouble to begin with, and we hardly even know her. Just wait until we become better _acquainted_."

He was referring to the actual capture, which, according to my previous actions, didn't look like exactly like a picnic.

"That's what I've been wondering about as well. If she _is_ so much trouble to catch she must have a reason for doing so. Usually we've finished a mission on the first try," Kurama said thoughtfully as he walked side-by-side with Hiei. He continued, "I've been trying to figure out exactly what she did wrong that we need to get her for. We accidentally released her from previous confinement, which had her placed by that old man for a specific reason, I'm sure."

"I'm not concerned with what she did or what's going to happen to her, as long as we get her back to Koenma. Then this nightmare will be over and done with," Hiei grumbled as he quickened his pace. Soon this would all be over. Then he could catch up on his favorite pastime; making the idiot's live even worse.

How he thought this was going to end was completely different then the reality of it all. It was much more complicated then any of them could have ever thought.

--

I sit up and push myself into the leather couch to get away from him. Satsujinki's face contorts to figure it out, until it finally clicks. His eyes light up as a smirk passes on his face, revealing short fangs. Leaning forward I curl my lips back to reveal my own fangs, which were so much longer then his pair. A growl rolled in my chest and filtered through my chattering teeth as the ends of the binds started to burn and singe.

"You," I snarled angrily.

"Me," he stated happily as he thrust his thumb at his chest.

In a flash of swirling embers, the binds on my ankles and wrists burst into a glimmering red flame. My teeth grinded together as I glared at Satsujinki's confused features. My eyes glinted and flashed into black, and the flames that burned on my binds slowly twisted to a black as dark as the night.

Suddenly Satsujinki's eyes narrowed and he jumped backwards with a scowl. When his feet hit the ground a spark of electricity lit the room and formed in his right hand. I stood up silently from the couch and lowered my hands to my sides comfortably, and the ashes that were once rope settled on the ground.

Satsujinki drew his hands together and held it for a moment and the light became a yellow-tinted white. He drew his hands toward his chest and dragged his hands further apart, thus the ball of electricity grew. I took a small step forward and sat on my hip patiently.

"I'll finish what I started, Kumori," Satsujinki said lowly as the ball of electrical energy grew to it's fullest form. As Satsujinki took a step back he pulled the energy forward, and then shot it forward as he shouted, **"Hekireki!" **

It flew toward me quickly, but I evaded it by simply stepping to the side and jumped away to escape its shock distance. Turning to Satsujinki I gave him a nasty glare. "That's your best? How could Rindou fall from something like _that_?"

Satsujinki just smiled at me and waited as I cast my hand to the side. Black fire crackled and began to roughly form when something hit me from behind. I held in a scream of pain when high voltage rocketed from my back, into my chest, and to my arms. I bore my fangs as I sharply flickered into a shadow.

The blast of electricity passed though the empty space and soared back into Satsujinki's right hand obediently. Immediately he fed it with more of his spirit energy, and the Hekireki expanded. Light flooded the floor and pushed the shadows up against the further corners of the room. The large wood door that separated the room from the stairs slammed shut and locked by itself instantaneously. I formed in the shadows, watching Satsujinki's light show.

"You can't move without shadows, can you?" he chuckled as he fed even more of his spirit energy into the Hekireki. I tsked and flickered away as the light expanded into where I was standing.

His laughing died after the first minute when his electricity ball grew so large that he hand to hold it with both of his hands. His eyes scanned the illuminated room feverishly in hopes of finding me standing in the open, ready to blast to bits.

"Come out come out, wherever you are," he said quietly as he slowly turned in a full circle. "There's no place to hide, I know you can't be far."

"Your right."

Satsujinki twisted around, but didn't find anything. _I know I heard her voice_ he thought, getting a bit worried. "It was right behind me," he whispered.

"Right again."

Satsujinki flinched and turned on his heel to find nothing again. Fear struck in his heart as he quickly fed all he could into his ball of electricity. It sputtered dangerously and nearly hit the ceiling, but his control was growing weak over it. Feeling that he was losing control over his Hekireki, he panicked and tried to draw his energy away from it, but it was hopeless. Once you had created a Hekireki, any energy you put in it couldn't be attained again. It develops its own mind.

The Hekireki suddenly sparked into nothing, and darkness instantly fell. Satsujinki instantly froze as he felt claws pull his hair from his neck.

"I've been here all the time," I said gently as I saw the pale flesh of his tender neck present itself.

"You can't loose your shadow," I said condescendingly, "ever."

"Y-You was behind me-?" he stuttered.

"Yes," I said simply.

"This is for Rindou," I said sorrowfully, and Satsujinki tensed and tried to say something. I bore my fangs and plunged them into the side of his neck junction without hesitation, and his blood instantly rushed to meet my lips.

--

"There's so many of them," Kuwabara said as he punched one of the men in the stomach. He doubled over, but threw his knife at the orange head's chest anyway.

"Oi!" he yelled as he nearly dodged it.

"Keep on your toes!" Yusuke shouted from a few stairs downward.

"It's kinda hard when you're dodging five freaks at a time!" he screamed back as, what do you know, five thugs raced up and started throwing punches.

"How're you guys holding up?" Yusuke asked as he glanced ahead of him at Kurama and Hiei.

They were dodging punches, kicks, and knife throws effortlessly and occasionally throwing in their own assault to knock them unconscious. Kurama nodded at Yusuke, but Hiei was too busy with his battles. "I grow weary of these infuriating _humans_," Hiei said as he drew his katana blade.

Kurama's green eyes stared at Hiei in alarm and Yusuke shouted, "No! HIEI!"

Ignoring their remarks, Hiei went ahead and in a blurry amount of swift movements had all the humans who had apposed him on the floor, unmoving.

Yusuke's eyes widened in shock and anger and he shouted, "You son of a-!"

"Shut up, Detective," Hiei snapped heatedly. "I didn't _kill_ them."

"Just unconscious," Kurama sighed as he dodged another attack and hit the man in the neck. He too fell to the floor in a less then wide-awake state. _Fortunately that's all_ Kurama thought resignedly.

"We're taking too long," Kuwabara said as he glanced at the now shut door. "They're fighting with explosive powers, and as far as I can tell, Kumori's barely trying. In fact, she's not using any of her spirit energy, and Satsujinki is using every last drop of his!"

"But _they're_ in _my_ _way_!" Yusuke shouted angrily as he pushed the tempting thought of blasting through with his spirit gun. His eyes lit up as he detected an idea.

Smiling, Yusuke raised his hand in a gun formation. Shards of blue spirit energy collected around his pointed finger, and Hiei glared at him in confusion. Yusuke watched the fearful looks on the thugs as they began to wonder what was going on.

Hoping Hiei would hear, Yusuke thought, _Hiei, I'll shoot the smallest Spirit Gun I can and the thugs should clear a path in fear. You speed though; the spirit gun should blast away the door, and grab Kumori. Got it?_

"Here goes nothing," Yusuke shouted.

--

A screech pierced the air as Satsujinki fell to the floor, blood pouring from his torn neck. I cut off my scream and watched the sparking ball of energy tear its way to the other side of the room. Scuffling forward I wiped away the blood from my mouth with my forearm with a wide smile. "So," I started, "you're still here are you? I thought that without your master you'd dissipate."

The Hekireki's yellow glow sparked and, with agile speed, flew toward me. I jumped to the side and held up my forearms to protect me from the blow, but when I landed I saw that I wasn't quite its target.

The Hekireki hovered above Satsujinki's chest and slowly lowered into him. The motionless body lifted slightly from the mid-back as the Hekireki overtook the dead Satsujinki. His brown hair grew longer and gained yellow streaks. His eyes opened to reveal glazed orange irises with a green hazy where the white should be. I took a step back and collected Spirit Energy in my right hand.

Satsujinki turned to me and his body lifted itself to a standing position. My eyes followed his movements as he hovered above the floor, a wicked smile on his face. He opened his mouth and cackled as yellow symbols etched themselves along his forehead and either side of his cheeks.

"So, you're Kumori?" he asked; yet his voice was different. Traces of Satsujinki's voice were visible, but behind it was a deeper one, the Hekireki's voice.

"From what I've gathered, Satsujinki killed Rindou. It was a hired murder. You still haven't healed from his death? Wasn't it-?"

"74 years ago," I whispered angrily, yet, solemnly. "It was 74 years ago, on April 23." My crimson eyes watched my feet on the stone floor. I remembered the look in his eyes when he died...

"Let me aid in your transition!" Satsujinki shouted as he put his arms out in front of him. He pushed his wrists together and fanned out his fingers as yellow energy sparked at his palms. In one crackle, a thunder ball formed and he fired it shouting, "**ENREI!**"

The blast tore toward me dangerously and I bit my lip in anger and tossed my head to the side. Just two feet away from the Enrei, I quickly raised my hand and shot my own black energy into the Hekireki's blast. It tore through the Enrei and parted a clear channel for the shocked Satsujinki.

"N-N-NOOOOO!" he screamed as he tried to back away from the blast.

However, it proved futile. My energy blast shot right into him and tore his body apart in a flash of black light. When the light faded, nothing was left but sparks of stray electricity. I staggered forward as a pain surged through my left arm. Glancing at it, I saw a stream of blood seep through a gash along my arm. I grumbled, "When it separated it still had a mind of its own until I hit Satsujinki. Got me then…"

I grabbed onto it with my right hand and walked backward until my back rested against a wall. I looked at the spot where Satsujinki was vaporized and sighed heavily. It was over. It was finally over…

The door blasted into splinters and a black wiz flew inside. Facing the new threat I backed away and narrowed my eyes. After a second, I realized who it was.

_Hiei_ I thought angrily. Just as I had finished the thought, the black figure turned toward me and wasted no time. I found myself pushed against the wall with my wrists pinned to my sides. Just as I opened my mouth to protest, a sharp pain seared in my head and I drifted off into sleep. A deep sleep that I needed to contemplate the day's successes and sorrows.


	5. Rindou's Reminiscence

**Burn it Black (**Summary): Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a female demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives' knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fire/ice apparition. Hiei/oc

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, only my characters and the plot.

_"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark"--unknown_

Worthless Note: Once again, wonderful readers have shone their joy that they have found in reading my ramblings and _reviewed_. Yes, let's give a reorganization to:

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Now…

_**ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS! **_

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**Rindou's Reminiscence **

I was lying on my back when I slowly opened my eyes. I saw through black strands of hair that was strewn across my face carelessly. There was an open window to my right, where streams of light lit the surrounding background. I ignored the posters on the white wall and stared at the ceiling.

I sighed and closed my eyes again. My body ached and my left arm hurt badly. Reopening my eyes I jolted upright and sat forward in a cross-leg position. I reached with my right hand and felt the wound along my left arm, but instead of feeling my cape, I felt a bandage. Looking, I saw that my arm was indeed bandaged up tightly, and the white dressing was splotched with a deep blood red.

I clicked my claws together and took interest in the window. In the yard beyond this one there were two children enjoying a game of toss with a baseball mitt and a playing ball. One had shabby blonde hair and the other had light brown, and the sun was bright outside.

I twitched my ears as I heard feet tap on the wood paneled flooring. Turning over my shoulder, I saw an old teenager with brown hair and bronze eyes staring at me indefinably. His forehead had the abbreviation JR. printed on it.

"Glad to finally meet you, Kumori," he said a bit edgily.

"Koenma," I said simply, "I've heard a bit about that name. You're the son of King Enma, and decide where souls go by how they lived their lives. I've also heard that you're not too fantastic when it comes to keeping your own in battle or promises."

"Sounds like I'm famous," he said somewhat cheerfully.

"That all well and good," I said, "but I need to know if I killed Satsujinki and where I am, exactly."

"You are at Kazuma Kuwabara's house, one of my Spirit Detectives. This is his room," Koenma explained quickly, "and yes, you did kill Satsujinki. Very effectively, might I add."

I released a heavy sigh. As I closed my eyes and bent my head, my chest suddenly felt heavy. It was finally over. The whole ordeal was _finally_ over.

Coming back down to earth as the boys outside ran to get the ball that had been thrown particularly far, I gathered myself together and regained my stiff manners. "Why am I here?" I asked flatly.

"If you want, let's get right down to business," he said impassively. "I sent my Spirit Detectives after you because at first it was a requested distress letter. The interesting thing about it was that there was no name left on it, no fingerprints, no

hair, no anything. Here, take a look." Koenma reached inside his coat and pulled out two pieces of paper. I waited a moment until he walked over and handed them to me. As I took them in my hand he backed away to rest on the wall while I looked them over. The first paper was folded over and crinkled. I lifted it under my nose and took a light sniff of it. It was true; there was no scent trace. Ignoring it, I flicked the letter open.

_Koenma,_

I have contacted you in hopes that we could resurrect an old treaty from a while ago. I call for your services, so you have no other choice but to act accordingly, however I plead nonetheless. Inside the Gishi Forest lies a small house, in which is inhabited by a young woman by the name of Kumori. It would be highly appreciated if you would be able to rescue her from that confinement a.s.a.p. This is simply because she is of greater value to me then she will ever be to anyone else, and I need her at this time. I am aware that your team of Spirit Detectives has quite the reputation. Hopefully they will not leave this mission without their heads. Forewarned caution; Kumori is a bit of a pyromaniac.

I snorted in dissatisfaction and shuffled to the next paper. "That's your record, Kumori," Koenma said from behind me.

_**Name: -----, **Kumori_

_**Gender:** Female_

_**Age:** Unknown_

_**Height:** Unknown_

_**Eye color:** Red_

_**Hair color:** Black_

_**Species:** Never Recorded _

_**Place of Birth:** Never Recorded_

_**Signature move:** Unknown_

_**Class: **Unknown_

_**Occupation:** Never Recorded_

_**Advantage**: Never Recorded_

**Description: **Was brought through the Barrier with Tenrai, Kogarashi legally. Inhabits Eirou House in Gishi Forest.

I stared at it for a few spare moments. They had a record of me? At least it wasn't detailed.

"Not much," I said offhand.

"No, it isn't," Koenma huffed angrily. He always knew everything. He was the Prince of all ReiKai. He should be privileged enough to know more then my name and a sketchy description.

"You said 'at first.' That means there was at least a second reason you wanted to see me," I said smartly as I looked directly at him.

He smirked at himself and straightened his poise. "Yes, in fact, there was another reason. I looked up the treaty that the letter talks about, and found it to be made a century ago with a man named Kamaitachi. In exchange for him giving me the portal ring I would offer him my services to him in an extremely serious position. If you put two and two together, it means Kamaitachi knows you and needs you. I, however, don't have any signs of his current whereabouts so I cannot immediately hand you over to him. Then again-."

"I don't care what you and Kamaitachi had, I don't know him and flat out refuse to be handled like-like…. an animal!" I shouted at him heatedly.

He stared at me before continuing, "Well, as I was saying, I couldn't do that anyways. As I sent my Spirit Detectives after you, I also sent Inspectors to the Eirou House to examine the bones. There turned out to be some remains of humans there. Do you know the penalty for human murder?"

He waited for an answer I could not give. I remained silent.

"It's death for the killer, which happens to be you-."

"How do you know?" I asked sharply.

"They were burned, and the ashes had your energy traces on them."

"…Damn…" I whispered under my breath.

"However, it seems that your heritage is truly…unique," he mused. "A fire shadow apparition? I've hardly come across one before, and, as you have proved earlier, you have the potential to become a highly recognized Spirit Detective, or something of the sort."

"If your asking what I think your asking, "I said slowly, "the answer is no. I wouldn't be caught dead with you and your-."

"Be careful what you say," Koenma forewarned, "I hold your future. Besides, you don't have a choice in the matter. I made the same decision with Hiei and Kurama, and they turned out to be excellent assets."

I glared at him and tightened my grip on the papers in my hands. He thinks he can control me just like that? I thought angrily. I'll show him who he's dealing with.

I glared at him and loosened my grip on the innocent papers gradually, until finally placing them down quietly. I yawned and reached behind my back to scratch it, but I used the protection of my back to hide the forming energy from my soon-to-be victim. As my yawn came to an end, I closed my mouth and my eyes. A moment later, I extracted my arm and whipped the fireball toward Koenma's form. As it left my hand, the fire died with a puff of black smoke. Stunned, I opened my mouth slightly and gawked at my empty hand.

"What…what just…"

I tried to form the question, but I couldn't.

Koenma started to have himself a giggling fit, and tried to subdue it as he pressed the back of his hand against his mouth. I glared at him and seethed, "Koenma…"

Finally restraining his laughter, he redeemed his formerly posture. "Yes, well, you didn't expect me to let you lye there without giving you some restraint. After all, I didn't know how you would take-."

"You sabotaged me when I was healing!" I snapped at him furiously.

Koenma nodded and sighed. "I just couldn't let you on the loose just yet. I can't trust you."

"That's mutual," I barked.

"Kumori, you'll understand with time. I'm not doing this to make you angry," he tried to reason.

I shook my head and clenched my fists at my sides. "Just…. go," I growled lowly. I heard Koenma's footsteps quietly tap toward the right, and the door creaked open. In a matter of moments, it hit the frame as it closed. As soon as I was sure I was left alone, I fell backward and closed my eyes to the blinding sunlight. My head hit the soft pillows, and I groaned in pain and mental frustration. Why was everything so hard for me? I found bliss in simply staying there for a few minutes, listening to the boys play outside together. It brought back painful memories…

"Can't just lye here all day," I mumbled as I resignedly sat up again. Rubbing my eye with my left fist, I rested my right in my lap lazily. Any further sluggishness was unacceptable. I was an active, predator-like demon. It isn't natural to feel as if I could lye anywhere without any tension or tautness.

Expelling my comfort, I flung my legs over the side of the bed and walked toward the window. The two boys were at the door of their yellow-painted house and were entering under the ledge of the front door. The green ball was in arms and safely transported to the home base. I instinctively drew away from the window and walked away.

I passed the bed, but glanced at the papers on it. Snatching the two documents quickly, I folded them neatly and stuffed them into my shirt. After all, my hakama didn't have pockets. I stopped in my walk toward the door and thought for a moment. Did I have on the same top that I had before they caught me? Quickly glancing at my attire, I came to the conclusion that I did in fact have the same complicated top with assortments of leather straps, filmy sleeves, and silk fabric.

Satisfied with what I had found, I continued to walk toward the door. I met the oak entrance and grasped the bronze knob that was connected to it. In one swing I had opened it and peered into the dark hallway. Somehow it seemed that way without any light fixtures or windows. I saw a case of stairs that lead to the lower level and felt my curiosity spark.

At the bottom of the stairs I removed my hand from the one-sided railing and excavated the new environment. There was a kitchen, which was fairly dirty, might I add, a living room, and somewhat of a very small, feeble foyer. I chose the living room and walked away from the staircase to greet it.

As my feet hit the carpet underneath, I glanced at the couch. The pungent scent of a human wreaked the entire house, but the source was coming from here. Walking closer cautiously, I peered over the couch and found the informant to be a young woman. She had light brown hair, tossed over her shoulder and face, and was a slim creature. She wore a white tank with one of the straps hanging off her shoulder and a pair of cotton plaid flannel pants. Her legs were crossed and her toes curled in her sleeping form. I held my hand before my nose to protect myself from the overpowering aroma of booze.

My conscious decided she could contain some information, but my actions were also fueled by my undying curiosity. Humans did that to me. I poked her side lightly and watched her squirm and collect herself in a curled position. Her eyes screwed shut and a trace of a frown was visible on her face. I couldn't help but smile at her and proceed to infuriate the slumbering human. I poked her side again, harder, and watched her grumble a curse under her breath and swat at my hand.

"Pesky brother…" I overheard her mumble in her sleep. My features lit up as I thought of something selectively evil. Maneuvering around the couch effectively, I kneeled at the side of it and watched her sleeping face relax if only for the moment. Then I dove my hands forward toward her stomach and instantly the human jumped up with wide brown eyes. I instantly drew back with a small smile and maintained a calm stare with the shocked human. As I pulled myself up I shrugged and shared a condescending grin of sorts with the now settling human.

"Koenma didn't tell me you'd be here so soon," she said lazily as she settled herself back on the couch. I lurched forward in shock. "You knew I'd be here?" I asked her angrily. I didn't like my locations to be known. In my world, it meant death.

" 'Course," she mumbled from her couch. "Kumori, right? You look like a demon to me." I was unsure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

"Regardless," I said as I twitched my ear in irritation, "I would appreciate if you kept where I am private. I don't want any…visitors."

"Who're you expecting?" she asked groggily.

I disregarded the question and murmured, "Curious humans…can't keep their noses out of anything these days." With that said, I proceeded to walk away from the couch and it's inhabitant to occupy myself with something I found more relaxing.

I folded my hands behind my head as I stretched out on my tree branch. The leaves brushed against my skin lightly, and I openly welcomed the tree's comfort in which I so sought to obtain. I glanced up at the midday sun with a weary glare, but soon found myself engaged with the problem that had currently presented itself to me. A tongue-curling yawn upset my stillness, however, and I found myself settling back down into the tree branch.

"At least Kuwabara has a good tree," I sighed as I turned my face into my arm. My eyes fluttered closed and I allowed my mind to drift. Hazy questions passed beyond me, like where were the Spirit Detectives now? Shouldn't I be finding a way to get rid of the leash that Koenma so conveniently put on me? Unconsciously, I took the invitation to sleep and slowly drifted off until I was deep in sleep.

Shizuru, meanwhile, figured something was up after not seeing a certain black-haired demon for quite some time.

Precisely, 5 hours.

She groaned as she opened the back screen door. It creaked open, sending a breeze of refreshing cool night air to wash over the brunette. It swept up her hair in the strong wind as she squinted and hugged her over-sized jacket closer. Shizuru then spotted a strangely familiar figure amidst the soft rose petals of their large Sakura tree. She sighed as she recognized the shape as none other then her newly acquired roommate.

She talked to me as she picked her way through the dirt and pebbles that stubbornly blocked her a clear path to the base of the tree. "Why on earth are you all the way up there?"

"…snore…"

Shizuru stopped mid-step and turned her head toward the tree with a puzzled look. She just snored… the woman thought cynically as she stared at me through narrowed, questioning eyes. Putting the topic aside for further questioning at a later time, Shizuru moved on.

"So, you're the kid they're all worked up about. As it seems, Koenma can't find much on you. Interesting, too, that little kid knows everyone it seems. If you ask me, he knows too much."

I reset my jaw and turned on my side, facing away from Shizuru unconsciously. She stared up at me with a dry glare.

"Be that way," she mumbled to herself as she put her back against the tree and crossed her arms. Shizuru looked up at the sky for the instant, and found the setting sun and rising moon to please her momentarily. She couldn't help but give a ghost of a smile at the rays of light as they reflected on her skin with the paleness of the moon and the flushed pink of the sun. Shizuru glimpsed up in the great mass of twigs and found me again, lightly snoring from time to time.

"I've got to know, what's all the hush-hush about this Rindou kid? Kuwabara's driving me mad asking questions about if I knew anyone with his name. One day I'll ring his throat and end it all," she mused quietly, not expecting any answer. None at all. But I gave her one nonetheless.

"Rindou…" I whispered, my voice heavy with sleep. Shizuru decided to glance up and see if I was still sleeping. Amazingly, I was.

"I…miss him…. " I whimpered in my sleep as I pressed my face against my arm and pulled my legs closer to me. Mildly surprised, Shizuru stared at me silently.

"He was the best… I swear," I continued as I curled my fingers into a fist. " He was the only one….who….wasn't afraid…"

My eyes tightened as an image slowly formed in my subconscious as I unwillingly recalled the event. The sky was dark overhead, showing a silver crescent moon in a never-ending sea of black night sky. A child with red-brown hair smiled at me with his deep green eyes. I had fallen backward in the dirt when I was running through town.

"Whatcha doing down there?" he said in his curious 13-year-old voice as he offered his hand to me. I eyed him curiously, but took his hand nonetheless. He pulled me to my feet, and I dusted off my long gray skirt and short-sleeved kimono subconsciously.

"You've got a twig in your hair," the boy informed as he reached toward my head.

I hadn't noticed he said anything until I felt something being pulled from my hair, in which time I glanced up at the boy quickly and stepped backward. He stood there, in slight shock, as he watched an ear twitch on my head. I grimaced as I waited for his screech to pierce the air.

"Whoa…" he gasped as he watched them move on their own atop my head. I swallowed and waited unwillingly, as my fear had rooted itself in my position.

"Get outta town," he said with a small smile.

Not knowing this wasn't to be taken literally, I turned away to do so. Just as I had, I felt a pang of pain tear into my body from my heel upward. Instantly I fell to my knees and squeezed my right foot tightly and thought over and over again to try to forget the hurt. That was when I felt a hand on my back.

"I didn't really mean to get out of town," the boy said curiously, but then busied himself with what I was holding.

"What's up?" he asked as he reached forward.

I went to move away, but he quickly swatted my hands away and looked at my heel. There was a deep gash along my ankle, and blood was oozing from the wound. He wrinkled his nose at the sight and said, "You've got to get that cleaned up, you know."

I gazed at him with wide, yet still unsure eyes. Was he serious? The boy leaned back and instructed me to put my bad ankle on his knee. I did as I was told obediently. Then he took his right sleeve into his hands and ripped the fabric apart with some difficulty, but then looked at my ankle again.

"This might hurt," he said quietly as he grabbed my ankle. I instinctively yelped and drew away, but he took a rough grip and held my foot down. Scowling, I thought, I knew I shouldn't have listened.

I held my palm face up and began to gather Spirit Energy in it when the boy quickly wrapped the white fabric around my bloody wound and tied a knot in it efficiently. Shocked, my concentration broke and the Spirit Energy evaporated. The smiling boy turned to me practically beaming with pride.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

I snorted.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You do talk, don't you?" His eyes widened and he questioned, "Are you a mute?"

"No," I said with annoyance.

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Oh, then why are you so quiet?"

"…I choose to."

"Ok. Oh, um," the boy fumbled with his hands and looked down at my ankle. "My name's Rindou, what's, um, yours?"

I looked at him through my tousled black bangs curiously. My eyes followed his movements as he put his hands' twiddling to rest and looked up at me, his green eyes expecting an answer of sorts.

I sighed as I rose to my feet and set my hands on my hips, but my authority seemed slightly less important due to the limping leg I had to now carry on with. He stared at me for a moment before putting his hands down and pushing himself up to his feet as well. He stood about a good head taller then me, even if I was older then him, so I looked up with squinted eyes as if deeming if he was worthy or not of this private knowledge.

"Its Kumori," I said flatly.

At this small enlightenment, the boy, Rindou, smiled at me and looked as if he had just won a priceless prize. I tilted my head to the side and said, "It isn't such a big deal."

"But it is! Now we can be best friends forever!" he said as he carefully put his arm around my shoulder in a childlike, innocent way. I rolled my eyes as my head snagged on that last word.

Forever

I had a taste of how long that was. It was too long.

I lightly leaned on Rindou's shoulder as he continued to talk and talk about this and that. I had absolutely no idea what any of it was about, but it came as somewhat of a sense of reassurance that he would bother. It just felt nice to know someone knew you existed.

The blurry image faded and washed away into another less relaxing reminiscence. It was three years after I had first met Rindou, and he was now 16. My appearance had grown with him, and I left the short somewhat shy girl with sad eyes behind and changed into a young woman with long thin legs, a reasonable waist, and was known for being hotheaded.

I sat high up in a tree with my legs crossed and my claws clinking on the bark. The sky overhead was that of a full moon, on which nights I came to visit Rindou. I looked up at the silver sphere admiringly as I shallowly swung my feet in the air.

I heard a distinct click, and turned to my right to catch a familiar window opening and a head with long red-brown hair and forest green eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"About time you came," I said as I leaned back and smiled at him. He returned it and rested his forearms against the frame of the window and leaned his chin on it.

"I was living in a hellhole of homework, Kumori. You don't have any idea what it's like."

"Is it really that hard to use your head?" I asked as I let myself slip backward and I flipped upside-down on the branch.

"You're telling me that isn't hazardous?" Rindou said as he rolled his eyes at my performance. "Stop showing off."

"Why? Jealous?" I asked as I shook my head to let my hair dangle below me. To keep myself from falling and crashing my skull into the ground, I tightened my legs around the branch and glanced up at Rindou.

"That I'm not a demon?" he asked in an amused tone as he looked down at me. At my lack of response, he added, "You certainly play the part."

"Soon I'm going to test my newest theory and see if humans can stand 200 degree fire," I said as I scowled at him.

Rindou laughed and said, "You and I both know you'd never try something like that. You ain't that bad, am I right or am I right?"

I pouted and turned my stare to the tree for the moment. The blood was rushing to my head so much that it began to hurt and I was losing my senses temporarily. Just as I was about to sit on the branch properly again, something wrapped around my neck and shocked me with the force of 1000 jolts. I was about to scream when it tightened its grip and threw me to the ground. In a second I had managed to flip around and land on my feet smartly. My eyes widened when I saw an orb of yellow-white light flew toward Rindou's open window.

I had no time to think, it was all instinct. I shadowed right before Rindou and felt the heat of the electricity singe the ends of my hair and press against my body forcefully. I shouted in pain and hit the back of Rindou's house, and he was forced back by the power of the impact from the attack on my body. I tried to pull my arm back, but something was holding me back.

As I desperately strained against the electric force field around me a knife slit into my stomach. My eyes snapped open as blood flew from my mouth as something drew a fistful of my shirt and pushed me through the window. Slithers of glass ran into my arms and back, and beads of red blood seeped through like tears. A groan behind me snapped me back into reality as I realized I hit Rindou. I saw a shadow before me, slowly drawing into the darkness of Rindou's room, and the blood on his knife was all I needed to go over the line.

For the first time ever, my crimson irises began to turn black and my pupils slit and faded into silver. My Spirit Energy grew to such a point that my flesh began to reject the glass and melt the wounds together.

Rindou saw where this was going and, even though he was well aware of my fiery nature, grabbed a hold of my shoulders. He cringed as his palms grew hot and began to burn, but continued to shout in my ears, "Kumori! Kumori, don't do it!"

This snapped me out of the dark that began to feed off me and I shook my head. I looked up at the shadow, in which I could now clearly see had long dark brown hair and bright orange eyes. He glanced at me and spat, "Move aside, woman."

A rumble grew in my chest, and I jumped to my feet and ran toward the cocky man. His eyes widened at my unexpected assault and speed, and I quickly drew my claws forward and gave him a quick uppercut aside his face.

He cried out in pain and withdrew as he covered his hands over his face and I saw the glint of blood seep through his fingers. A few more muffled cries escaped his throat as I turned back to Rindou and shouted, "Take cover!"

He understood the importance of this command and crawled silently into a corner in his room. As I turned back to my opponent I felt a shock of electricity hit me squarely in the chest. I flew backwards, but flipped mid-air and slid backward on my feet. I pushed my hand into the dark cherry wood flooring and my landing came to a halt. I proceeded to run forward and throw a punch at the new arrival's chest, but he blocked and cut his knife into my arm. I ignored the pain and instead grabbed his wrist and pulled it down as I thrust my kneecap in his abdominal.

He hacked for air as I removed my knee, but he regained control of his body and grabbed my sides. Electricity buzzed around me and I closed my eyes in the pain it brought. It felt like a thousand needles were puncturing me from every side and made me immobile. The pain steadily grew to a breaking point, and I couldn't help but feebly open my mouth and try to scream. It proved pointless, however, as my voice had been lost in the wave of pain that washed over me. One thought rushed to my mind. Rindou…!

I cracked open my right eye and watched in horror as the enemy towered above him, holding a long knife above his quivering body. I willed my body to move, to speak, to do something to prevent it from happening.

"R…Rindou!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I shook trying to break the binds the electricity had brought me. Pounds on the door sounded the room; strong, powerful blows that meant his father had discovered something had gone wrong. I barely managed to open both my eyes as I shook vigorously against the constantly relentlessly constricting binds. I heard Rindou's trembling voice yelp, "K-Kumori…. Kumori! H-Help me!"

I felt my heart squeeze as the knife was brought higher above our rival's head, and my lungs collapsed as I gasped for words to stop him. Cold fear stabbed my heart as the knife was brought down in one fatal swing and blood splattered on the back of the wall. My wide eyes flooded with hot tears as they ran down my face in long staining streams. I tasted the salt as they trickled on the sides of my mouth and dripped off my chin. I chocked on sobs as the murderer smiled cockily. Trying to stop the tears I bit my lip, but they were relentless and persisted to run until there was no will left in me.

"R….Rin…dou," I wept mournfully as his back slumped against the wall. The poundings on the door endured, however helpless they had been. I lowered my head and closed my eyes as the tears dripped off my chin and long black eyelashes to splash onto the bloodied floor.

I snapped my eyes open and found myself breathing deeply to recover lost breath and sweat forming on my face. Hastily I brushed it away, and once I had I sniffed the air. My eyes snapped open as I smelt an acrid burning scent and a human's and I looked over the side of the tree branch. Shizuru looked up casually with a cigarette between her lips. She rolled it to the side with her tongue and puffed out a billow of gray smoke.

"What's all the trouble kid?" she asked me offhandedly.

"Nothing," I said as I swung my legs around the side of the branch and clenched the tree beside me. I stared down at Shizuru and watched her lean against the tree and eventually emit a cloud of smoke. I quirked my head to the side in confusion and asked, "Humans can't breathe smoke."

"Sure can, it's just not good for your health," she answered as she caught onto my patient glare and spit the cigarette out onto the grass. Before it could catch onto fire she smoldered it with the heel of her shoe.

"I'll see ya inside," she hollered over her shoulder as she began to walk toward the screen door. I glanced at their roof and glimpsed Hiei's staring figure. At meeting my gaze he seemed slightly shocked for a moment, but brushed it aside and flitted away as the screen door slammed shut behind Shizuru. As it did I tossed my head back and glared through the branches above mine. Hiei was once again there, looking down at me with the same glare meeting his eyes.

"Koenma has a message," he said sternly, "he says to meet him in front of Sarayashiki Junior High School at 4:15. Don't be late."

With that the black apparition disappeared with little left then a light breeze that played across my face and lifted my bangs. I sighed and leaned backwards and twisted myself against the trunk of the tree again. I brought my knees close to me so I could lay my hands across my stomach idly. My eyebrows furrowed as I recalled Rindou and all the things we shared…and how it all came to a crashing halt too soon. I silently glared at the horizon as I realized what I had to do next.

I have to find who hired Satsujinki. That's the only thing left to do until I can leave it behind.

I was broken from my thoughts as a nearly silent scream pierced the air. I turned around in my tree branch and saw the boy with brown hair from before fall in the street. I rolled my eyes as he drew himself up in a fetal position and began to turn back around when I heard the distinct echo of a truck horn boom in the background. I quickly stood up and turned to the street once again. Over the tall wooden fence the Kuwabaras had put up I saw into the concrete street a large truck speeding up the road, and the terrified boy glanced up at it.

Move! I thought as I grabbed a nearby twig that grew from the tree. Move you stupid boy!

However, despite my silent pleas, the boy was simply frozen in fear. The truck drove dangerously close, and the boy was sweating in fright as he tried desperately to call out. The only noise was a barely auditable squeak that only my ears could pick up. Despite my demonic instincts, I shadowed myself as the truck drew only a few feet from the human. He screwed his eyes close as the horn flared again and the shadow of the large vehicle covered him.

As he braced his body for the fatal impact, he felt arms scoop around his back and legs and sprint to his left. He bounced on the grass of his lawn before coming to a standstill and looking up for his savoir. I was panting behind him, glaring deep into his terrified dark brown eyes. Suddenly the eyes turned a forest green, and his hair grew in long auburn locks. My eyes widened as I stared down at the boy in shock. As I blinked, the image disappeared and the same terrified boy from before reappeared before me.

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself up until I stood up straight. Dusting my hands off with sharp, short claps, I said, "Watch it next time, will you? You're gonna kill yourself being stupid."

The boy remained in a state of shock before he shook his head and smiled up at me. He followed suit and stood up, all the while staring at me. I raised an eyebrow as he reached out and grabbed a hold of my leg. I jerked and twitched as he rubbed the side of his face against me.

"What are you-!" I attempted to shout, but was cut off when he interrupted me and said, "Thanks you. A lot. You'll be my hero forever!"

I stared down at the kid for a moment and my glare became somewhat less furious.

"Um….ah…o…k," I said awkwardly as I pet the top of his head lightly. I sighed as he let go of me. I stared at him for an instant as he furrowed his eyebrows at me. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled and waved at me.

"Bye bye!"

I smiled softly at him and in a flickered into a shadow. When the boy opened his eyes he didn't see me there. He looked at his right hand and found that he was clutching something. Uncurling his small fist he gasped as he found what he had found. The boy then proceeded to take the slate of obsidian and stare at it fondly. His eyes winded in joy as he saw a small flare of an ember flash in the bright moonlight.

He blinked at the stone that shimmered like a star and beamed at it. Happily he shoved it in his jean pocket and ran up the yard until he reached the white steps that lead to the front door. He jumped them and hurriedly grabbed the doorknob and forcefully turned it and rushed inside. His mother, who had been coming out of the kitchen, saw him run in and kneeled to his level.

"Honey, honey what's wrong?" she asked as she held his arms lightly and looked in his face steadily.

The boy smiled at her proudly and dug his hand into his pocket. When his hand surface, it produced a particularly shiny slate of finely cut rock.

"Oh," his mother gasped at the wondrous stone, "where did you find that?"

He once again grinned widely at his mother. "Mommy, a black angel gave it to me!"

She raised an eyebrow at this exclamation, but then remembered how young he was and smiled.

"So, a black angel gave it to you?"

"Yes, she did. She saved me from a big truck that was going to hit me!"

"Is that so?" his mother questioned as she pulled him into a hug.

"Yeah," he sighed into her shoulder, "she gave me this rock and told me not to be stupid again. Then she disappeared into the night sky. She's my hero"

The mother smiled and shook her head lightly. Kids she thought with a dazed happiness. She hadn't known just how far, and how close, her son was telling the truth. He was saved from a truck, but what saved him was far from a fallen angel.


	6. Queen of the Desert

**Burn it Black (**Summary): Released from her dwelling place by mistake, a female demon seeks out her fated enemy. Now she battles to keep her mysterious ways out of the Detectives' knowing, but is thrown off course when she feels strangely toward a certain fire/ice apparition. Hiei/oc

_"To belong to a world of things that cry in the dark"--unknown _

Worthless Note: Once again, wonderful readers have shone their joy that they have found in reading my ramblings and _reviewed_. Yes, let's give a recognition to:

4-is-lovely: I love you. So much. You're so nice to me! I really do hope you keep reviewing; I could never get enough of your reviews! You really don't understand how much it really inspires me to know people like my writing that much!

sadxautumnxsky: Yet another one of the oh-so-lovely reviewers. If only I could express how much it helps me to have people like you around me! Oh, yes, you went the extra mile and EMAILED ME! I got so excited! Well, now, you had TWO corrections for me, so you get a cookie. _gives really yummy chocolate cookie to reader_ Again, thanks!

ShadeSpirit: Thank you! I was confused on that for a bit and then forgot to check it up. Yes, "lie" is what I should be using. I hope I don't make that mistake again, I know it's a pet peeve for some people to have misspellings like that. Happens to me all the time!

Lostmind: Once again, one of the nice reviews whom I could not write without. I give you my sincere gratitude and appreciation for giving me a reminder that people actually do enjoy wasting their time reading my pointless stories.

Claimer: I _do_ own Kumori, Shikai, the story line, and future characters that I will list as they come into the story. Keep your sticky paws off my stuff. If you wanna use something –anything- ask and I'm probably say sure.

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or plan to in the future. I'd seriously screw it up and have people after me for ages. Not something I'm looking forward to.

Anyone: Happy comments, problems, critiques, anything you have, email me or leave a review. IT REALLY GOES A FAR WAY!

Now…

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS! _**

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Burn it Black

Ch. 7 Queen of the Desert

_"Koenma has a message," Hiei said sternly, "he says to meet him in front of Sarayashiki Junior High School at 4:15. Don't be late."_

"And he tells _me_ not to be late," I said angrily as I leaned against an old oak, one of the many trees that lined the border of the Sarayashiki School grounds. It was exactly 4:15, mid-day, so the sun was shining down through the leaves and left patterns across my skin. I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back more and impatiently waited for something to happen.

As if answering my request, a cool raindrop fell from the sky and landed on my nose. My eyes crossed as I tried to glare at it, but only succeeded in earning a painful throb in my head.

"Off!" I shouted as I brushed the raindrop off my nose, and then continued to bat at my face. Once I was convinced that the water was completely removed from my body I sighed and leaned against the tree, a satisfied smile on my face.

"Stupid raindrops can't beat me," I said lazily as I closed my eyes and soaked in the filtered sun.

Suddenly another cool drop of water fell on the concrete, creating a distinct splashing nose. I opened one eye and watched the drop soak into the cement quickly. Another that fell close to my tree replaced it, and I took a deep breath and silently prayed that no more rain would fall. Unfortunately, nature had other intentions.

Five minutes later…

I yipped as I grabbed onto the side of the cement column. The rain was pouring out of the sky like there was no tomorrow, and I was stuck hiding in someone's garage. When I say pouring, I mean an outright _downpour_ of torrential rain **pelting **from the gray clouds. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. At least in the Eirou House I had a roof over my head. Right now I had…. a garage door.

The cement column was one of two that stood seven feet apart, and the one green garage door was open and positioned above my head. The rest of the house was to the right, and behind me was a set of multiple bikes, most that were in the middle of repair. From the looks of it the family who inhabited the house wasn't here at the moment.

I looked out of the cave-like ledge sadly at the drenched world. Trees were swaying in the vicious winds and the rain hit the ground like bullets and shone white before they made contact. I had no intent whatsoever of taking a step outside. I watched as some sad soul rode across the street like an angry streak, absorbed in getting home as fast as possible. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. It was getting really cold.

_Bwahahahahaha!_

Laughing? Oh God… I hesitatingly opened my eyes a bit and hoped not to see whom I thought would be standing outside. My eyes narrowed and the corners of my mouth fell as I glared at the five figures standing in the rain, one bent at the middle laughing whole-heartedly. "Yusuke…" I growled dryly as I instinctively crept behind the cement column as much as I could.

"Oi! Kumori! Is that really you?" a painfully familiar voice shouted as the one laughing quickly ran toward me.

My eyes widened as I realized, _I have to get out of here_. I spun on my heel and ran for the back of the room. A whimper fled my throat as I felt a strong hand grab the back of my shirt and violently waved my arms in a desperate attempt to get my hands on anything. The laughing continued behind me as I was slowly dragged backward, even though I was still pulling with all my might forward.

"Don't be shy now!" Yusuke taunted as I saw the concrete under my feet lighten in hue from the car lights outside. The scent of light, clean raindrops filled my nose as Yusuke's back hit the water falling form the sky. In my most desperate attempt to avoid any contact with the damned stuff I hastily glomped a nearby column and refused to let go for all it's worth.

"Hey!" Yusuke said as he huffed in the rain.

I glared at him hotly and barked, "You don't touch me, understand!"

"Yeah, fine," he said as he put his hands up in defense.

Taking it, I nodded but remained steadfast in my decision to stay put.

The others waited impatiently, that is, until Hiei couldn't take the lack of motivation. He hissed, "Well, if we're not getting anything accomplished I'm leaving. No sense waiting in the rain for nothing."

"No! Wait, Hiei, stop. Kumori, come on. I have to talk to you all. Now," Koenma said as he grabbed Hiei's cape and glared at me.

I stuck my chest out in offense and huffed. "And get wet? I think not," I snapped. Besides, ordering me around like that? I wouldn't move if my life depended on it.

"No, Kumori, you come NOW-" Koenma shouted, but neglected to finish his sentence when Hiei frowned at him and yanked his cloak back. "No, Hiei, HIEI! YOU-! Wait, Kumori, Hiei, **STOP MOVING!"**

Hiei paused to glance over his shoulder and I flickered my gaze to the young ruler. Just now I noticed that he was thoroughly frustrated, what with his breaths coming out in silver wisps in the cold raining day.

It was silent for the moment as his outburst caused the boy previously riding his bike to crash into a lamppost.

"Now," Koenma said as he straightened his pose and gathered himself, "as I was saying, there is something I must discuss with you all, alone. It has to do with your next mission, and a peculiar hex."

My eyes, which had drifted again, found their way to Koenma's face again. He had my attention now.

--

"Towel?" Kurama offered me as I sniffled in the chair beside a circular table.

"Yeah," I mumbled as I took the white cloth from his outstretched hand and with my other gathered the dripping wet hair at the base of my neck. I tucked the towel underneath and sighed as the warm fabric dried my cold skin. I withheld a growl in my throat as I remembered the idiot who got me so wet…

Kuwabara offered to share his umbrella, which, as I discovered, is a contraption created by ninjens that is so stupid that it rivals the idiocy that of it's creator. I had agreed only to the knowing smile of Koenma and remembering that I had no where to go and that he could, without lifting a finger, construct my demonic abilities whenever he wanted. So I took the suggestion, not considering the consequences. Koenma, borrowing Kurama's green umbrella, said there was a place not too far that he owned as an archive. They'd talk there.

Halfway to said location the wind picked up, turning Kuwabara's umbrella inside out. The rain pelted me and I nearly froze on the spot, if it hadn't been for Kuwabara whacking me on the head with the handle as he swung the umbrella in the air trying to fix it. I, angry as hell, chased him in here with a record timing. He was now hiding on the opposite side of the library.

Most of us were seated among the varied seats in the middle of the library, where there were several small tables scattered. Hiei had seen it fit to perch himself among one of the many massive windowsills the library had to offer. I was currently residing in a green tweed stuffed chair with a lamp that hung over the back, although it was flickering. Yusuke was seated in one of the chairs and leaned on the back legs as he snored in his sleep lazily.

Koenma, an especially large misplaced book in his right hand, walked through the bookcases on the opposite side of the open space and cleared his throat. "Now then-" He stopped to a particularly large snore that sounded from Yusuke. Koenma's eye jerked in annoyance.

**_WHACK_**

"YEOW!" Yusuke screamed as he fell backward in his chair, fell onto the floor, and in an attempt to stand up hit his forehead on the table rather hard. The corner of my lips twitched despite myself. Yusuke then successfully stood, towering over Koenma by two and a half inches.

"Sit," the ruler commanded, and after Yusuke glared in contest, he soon found himself forcefully seated at the same round table we all were eventually. Koenma sighed and glanced at all of our faces briefly from right to left. Kuwabara was wincing at me, Yusuke's face was red in the spot where Koenma had hit him with the book, Hiei looked as if he was going to jolt for the door at any moment, and I was looking at the other side of the library, refusing to look at Hiei. We hadn't really gotten off on the best foot. All was as it should be.

"Your mission is that of a retrieving one," he started off in a strictly businesslike tone, "you are to travel in the Arano desert lands until you come to Kanson Shigai, City of the Desert. Once there, you mustn't tell of your origins, that'd ruin the plans. Secretly you have to retrieve Shikai, the current Queen of the land. Her sister is planning to use her enhanced abilities to overtake the city and gather strings from other lands and pose a threat to me."

"Question one," I asked flatly, "why'd she waste her time doing that? What've you done to her?"

"Well," Koenma scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "I kind of…um…well…actually…"

"Spit it out," Yusuke shouted impatiently.

"She wants to have my head because I killed her fiancé," Koenma sighed.

"Why'd you do something _stupid_ like that!" Yusuke pushed.

"I was perfectly permitted to do so! He was trying to kill the former Queen of Kanson Shigai."

"Why'd he wanna do something like that?" Kuwabara asked.

"If you'd all just _shut up_ for two seconds-" Koenma shouted "-I'd have a chance to tell you that you need to figure all of this out. I don't know any more on this subject, which is why I brought you all here. You will search this archive from roof down to the nooks and crannies in the floorboards if you have to, to find out anything and everything you can on Kanson Shigai and it's current ruling Queen, Shikai. I suggest you get cracking, you'll be up all night and day looking if you must."

With that said and done, Koenma smiled mischievously and snapped his fingers. A swirling blue portal appeared behind him, and he stepped back into it before any of us could grab him. After he disappeared into the blue light, it disappeared with a strong gust of wind. Little was left that the portal ever existed besides the flipped pages of the book Koenma had retired to the table after it's use had been fulfilled (Yusuke wasn't planning on forgetting any time soon) and others scattered slightly.

"What an annoying prick," I cursed under my breath as I dug my heels in the carpet beneath my feet and pushed my chair from the table. It squeaked in protest, but I ignored that and stood to my full length.

Turing briskly I walked toward the bookcases, the height of them so tall I half expected to see fog circling at the top. As I entered the hallway of them, I heard the others rise from their seats and head in opposite directions. Wise choice. Only problem: the archives were huge and mixed with regular novels that wouldn't help in anything but make the operation harder.

Somehow I found that this was beginning to entertain me…testing my knowledge and skills right under the noses of the prince of the spirit world and his detectives. In fact, I was enjoying myself more then I should be. After my masquerade was over and done with, I'd get right on with finding her and finishing what she started. Or rather, what _he_ started. Just thinking about the two sent shivers down my spine, and I quickly reset my thoughts in an orderly way.

I reached the middle of the hallway, the tall bookcases beside me making me feel smaller then I was. I smirked, thinking, _Hexes, hm? You've done that purposefully, I know it. You're not that careless, no, not at all. You're calling me back, which must mean you haven't found her yet. A race to see who can find her, is it? And if I find her first, I'll kill her on the spot. And nothing will be stopping me this time._


	7. Evil Intentions

Burn it Black

Ch. 8 Evil Intentions

邪悪な意思

I stood in silence and darkness, observing the spines of the torn books and the many fabric bookmarks that hung over the edge of the shelves. Suddenly a smirk tugged at the sides of my lips, and I flickered into the shadows. I knew exactly where I was going. And it wasn't anything to do with the Queen of the Desert.

It took a while, but after a good half hour of searching I landed in front of another tall, dusty bookcase, identical to all the others, but it held something I wanted very badly. Glancing upward, I saw a rectangular metal filing cabinet, rusted a rugged orange at the edges.

Smiling somewhat, I raised my right hand to the large, obnoxious lock that held the files under safe protection. Leaning my ear against it I inserted my claw, twisting it left and right and listening to the corresponding clicks that echoed in my head. A spark lit my eyes as the lock sprang open and almost fell off, but I caught it readily. I walked back to look at the filing box, and then lifted the handle to the top drawer and dragged it out.

I stood tall to look over the edge of it, and gazed at the many files of past and current spirit detective names. The nametags were worn and faded, but most were legible. I grazed my fingertip along them, unsettling the dust that developed there for many years undisturbed.

Abruptly I stopped at a name that was certainly interesting. With an experienced hand I slid the manila folder from it's slit silently and held it in my hand carefully. Then I turned my back to the bookcase and lightly leaned against it. The crease of the folder lay against my chest, and my fingertips wandered over the name in ghostly touches.

_Jaganshi, Hiei_, I thought absentmindedly as I slid my finger into the side of the folder and then opened it up fully. The first paper wasn't anything I wanted; just a labyrinth of barcodes and numbers. Eventually I discovered something slightly more worth my while.

"Background," I said with satisfaction as I flipped the page and read the title. My eyes lowered to the following information; of which surprised me more then I had anticipated.

**Name**: Jaganshi, Hiei

**Gender**: Male

**Age**: Unknown

**Height**: 4'11"

**Eye color**: red

**Hair color**: Black with white streaks

**Species**: Fire/Koorime Demon

**Signature move**: Dragon of the Darkness Flame

**Class**: A

**Occupation**: ReiKai Tantei/ Formal criminal

**Advantage**: Speed

**Description**: Hiei is the result of a male fire demon and Koorime mating, a forbidden act in the Koorime Island. Hiei's mother's best friend was forced to throw him off the cliff. From then on Hiei searched for his sister and in an attempt to do so had a Jagan eye implanted on his forehead. See 'Jagan' in index of book 'Utilizing Paranormal Attributes and Underlying Abilities," by Zokusei Sentetsu. Then teamed up with two demons, Yoko Kurama and Gouki, to steal the Shadow Sword, Forlorn Hope, and the Orb of Baast. Captured by Yusuke Urameshi. Punished to join Spirit Detectives.

My eyebrows rose as I scanned over it again, words repeating in my head. _Forbidden…Thrown off cliff…Jagan…Forbidden…Captured…Spirit Detectives…Forbidden._

_Why is that bothering me?_

_Forbidden_

It just stuck out like a thorn, like a clue I couldn't recognize, almost as if I were standing too close to a painting to realize the overall purpose of the illustration. But I don't know what I'm looking at.

Ignoring the topic until I could confront it later, I shuffled the papers back into order and closed the folder neatly. My eyes hesitated on the file, looking as if it had never been touched. The even white-yellow coloration showed the usual hue of a business file between my hands, the bottom end of the folder pressed lightly against my chest.

_Something's missing. That couldn't be it, just couldn't be. It's all too simple, too easily put out for me to find. The lock is old…maybe placed there purposefully? _

_Yes… _

I brushed my thumb across the smooth texture of the folder. My eyes narrowed and my ear flicked in deep concentration as the pad of my finger grazed along the small, soft grains.

_The folder is too new compared to the others and this old, dusty library. It's set up… _purposefully.

_But… _

_why? _

My lip curled back to reveal frustrated fangs as a low growl rumbled in my chest. I turned back to the filing cabinet and stuffed the file where it was, and then feverishly pushed the other folders apart so I could look at the front panel. Nothing on the first. I pulled it back and pushed the next forward. Nothing. Growing more anxious with each lack of success I began to loose hope and started to come to the conclusion that I was just over thinking things.

That was when something shimmering caught the corner of my eyes. Slowly I paused pushing the drawer back in place and turned to my left. On a large, old book not five feet from where I currently stood was an iridescent stone tied to the fabric bookmark. Leaving the filing cabinet, I walked toward it cautiously, my mind memorizing the thick spine and timeworn edges of the novel, with jagged, yellowed pages. Bending at the knee, my right hand palmed the sharpened stone and raised it to a more comfortable eye level. As I realized what it was, my eyes widened and stared at the clue in a mixture of disbelief and shock.

After I found the will to move, I stood up and glared at it one last time before walking back to the filing cabinet with rough steps. I fingered through the files again, this time more carefully, and picking out the next wanted file from alphabetic order. As I read through the rest of the Spirit Detective's backgrounds, I left the bookmark dangling, the shard of blue moonstone glistening in the near-darkness and the strip of paper bouncing as it showed a roughly inked yin yang circle in the shreds of light cast by lit candles among the ceiling.

It was a sign.

He found her.

--

_Tp Tlp Tp Tlp_

I tilted my head up and averted my eyes to the ground below. In the pervious hour I had situated myself above the bookcase. It was comfortable enough. The grip on Yoko Kurama's file slackened as I tilted my head forward, straining my ears to confirm what I thought I heard.

_Tp, Tp, Tlp, Tp_

"Well, well, speak of the devil," I whispered, my eyes relaxing as I sat back on my hands and twitched my ear in comfort. I watched with amusement as the red-haired human, now known that a fox demon nested itself in his soul, walked between several bookcases, stopping every now and then before frustratingly turning away. Closing his file I slid to the end of the bookcase and braced my legs before leaping downward. My feet met the old floorboards silently, as always, and I turned to the filing cabinet.

_Tlp, Tp, Tlp…_

I froze as I realized he was much, much closer then I thought. Only a few feet away…My heart fluttered as I tore open the filing cabinet recklessly and earned what seemed like an earsplitting creak, making my ears flatten against my skull.

_Tlp Tp Tp……….TlpTpTlpTpTlp_

The footsteps quickened as I repeated silently not to rush too much and steady my now shaking hands. As I slipped the three folders back where they belonged, I couldn't help but think about the irony of the situation. One second relaxing and taking my time, and the next rushing to avoid being caught and possibly charged with trespassing, not to mention using files strictly confidential. You don't just waltz in and get what you want. Unless you're very, very good at not being caught. As the footsteps got closer they slowed somewhat, and I saw strands of red around the corner as I glanced over my shoulders, my eyes glinting dangerously.

_TpTlpTpTlpTp, Tlp, Tp, Tlp…_

Kurama turned the corner cautiously, trying to be as quiet as he could. He was _sure_ he heard something over here…. He looked straight down the isle of dusty floorboards and old books that lined the sides, expecting to see something, anything. His eyebrow rose in curiosity for a moment as he slowly walked to the center of the isle, gazing intently at the floor. I narrowed my eyes at his figure as locks of black hair spilled over my shoulders. When he reached his destination he bent his knees and put his finger to the floor, sliding some dust onto it.

"Interesting," he mumbled to himself as he noticed certain spots where the dust had been missing or unsettled. Kurama straightened himself then, gazing around before his sight stopped at a shelf. There was a clearly marked footprint on the edge, but only the top half of the foot. Kurama tilted his head upward quickly and smiled when he saw me perched on the top of the bookcase, grimacing at him with a slight glare.

"You're too smart for your own good," I mumbled as I rested my hands on the brink of the bookcase and pushed myself off, landing less mutely then before with a very audible groan of the floorboards.

Kurama just smiled at me then, but it faded into a scolding frown as he told me, "Have you been doing _any_ work? At all?"

"Course."

"What'd you find?"

"Nothing. You?"

"I looked up her name in the index of the library, but all the filing cards were mixed up. Supposedly, she's around here somewhere…"

At this remark I instinctively turned to my right and placed my finger along one of the bindings. I sidestepped and dragged my fingertip along the other edgings, grazing the titles for anything to do with our new objective. Kurama crouched at floor level and simply placed his chin on his knees and looked on with his eyes.

Around forty minutes and thirteen frustrated grunts later…

I angrily looked up from the end of the bookcase and glared at Kurama. _Damn_, I mean, I was at the end of the god-forsaken hallway and he was _still at the same spot_.

"OI!" I shouted. He turned toward me but didn't budge. Somehow he seemed to be…leaning over something…

"Did you find anything?" I asked, a little suspicious.

The red curtain of hair turned away and hid his face. "Um…yes."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner!" I screamed.

"Would sooner have been…. -"

"Let me put it this way: when did you find…whatever you have?"

"Um…" He winced. I twitched. "…Thirty eight minutes ago?"

_**WHAMP**_

Kurama flinched and turned to face me slowly, and then sighed when he saw me lying on my back, a disbelieving look in my eyes as I twitched uncontrollably. He mumbled, "I'm going to hear of this sooner or later…"

--

"So," Kurama said as I leaned over his shoulder, observing the pages of the torn book that held all we needed to know and more, "this is the story. Shikai, at birth, was supposed to be a fox demon with the element fire, but instead of that she turned out to be a water demon due to a reversing hex placed by an unknown character. Her father, unable to believe the disgrace, fled. Yet, he left a companion to Shikai as a mockery to remind her she was the dishonorable heir to her parents. Shikai was left to the hands of her mother and her sister, Aikyou after that."

Kurama paused to flip the page.

"Years later, a letter was sent to the mother, the Queen, saying that the former King was currently prisoner somewhere and pleaded for help. She left for him, leaving her two daughters in place of the throne. Neither she nor her husband was ever heard of again. After the realization that their parents were dead, Shikai and Aikyou pitted against each other and fought for the title of Queen of Kanson City. Shikai won, and took her proper place. A deep jealousy ran through Aikyou, and she plotted to one day kill her sister to gain what she believed was rightfully hers."

Kurama and I came to a spot in the book where a long line of ink ran across the page. Traces of letters could be seen around the splatter, but the words containing them faded from view as the distance from the line increased.

"What is this?" Kurama quietly mused to himself.

"Sealing Ink," I replied with a sigh.

"…Care to enlighten me?" the redhead requested as he half turned and looked up at me.

"…Not parti-."

"What is it?" Kurama asked again, more forcefully.

I glared at him for a moment, but then changed my attention to the book. Raising my thumb to my mouth, I bit down sharply with my fangs until a small rush of blood met my tongue. Then I leaned over Kurama and firmly placed my bleeding finger at the top of the strike. In one quick, pressing motion, I ran it down the black ink splatter and watched the blood sink into the book and resurface letters in black ink. I reached the bottom of the page and forced my thumb into the page, creating a small deposit of blood.

"There," I said as I lifted my sticky digit from the page and licked the remaining blood clean from the cut.

We both watched the words at the bottom of the page realign and resurface until legible. I continued this time. "Aikyou, the jealous daughter of royal blood, is pitting against Shikai. In three days time, Aikyou will make her move and perform a ceremony to create forty-four underlings of fire and overtake the throne. Once that is completed, Aikyou will call upon an old ally and use his powers to take Shikai's element ice. With these two powers in control, Aikyou has the intentions of killing her sister and attack Koenma's base at 1:02 am."

Silence passed over Kurama and I; him from a mixture of confusion and fascination, me from deep thought. "Three days," I whispered to myself as I turned and sunk into the shadows. Kurama stood up, book in hand, and looked around for a second. "That's interesting. Very, very interesting."

--

I exited outside the library, under a tall tree that kept me from becoming soaked. As I tilted my head upward, I frowned at the sky. "Damn fox," I muttered, "too smart for his own good."

* * *

Sorry, it's kinda short. I only get comments from the two glorious people, 4-is-lovely and sadxautumnxsky. I was wondering if ShadeSpirit and -incessant embers- were still reading? If so, please message...or...something! Oh yeah, check out my account, I've got pictures of Kumori if you were curious of what she looks like.

http / fuzzyears007 . deviantart . com /.

Just kill the spaces and it should work.


	8. Found You

It was midnight, a crisp, navy-sky midnight. Everything was wet with the after shower from the previous day. The trees overhead were dripping with raindrops, which splashed on fallen leaves and dampened the already moist earth under my bare feet. I was standing in the outskirts of a forest, inhaling the sweet scents around me. Everything was always so quaint after a healing rain…

"You have to get in and out discreetly and quickly," Koenma said, drawing me away from my thoughts. He was telling us our mission, us being Hiei, Kuwabara, Kurama, Yusuke, and I. Yusuke and Kuwabara brought with them raingear. The demons of the group had more common sense then that.

"This is where you'll be dropped off," Koenma said, pointing on a laminated map of a mainly peachy color symbolizing sand. There was a black x about four inches from a crescent shape, a wall, and inside were many rectangles representing buildings. In the center was a large collaboration of figures that appeared to signify the castle.

"Every inch symbolizes one mile," he continued. "I'll be sending you off soon. When you land outside the portal, start at a fast pace toward the castle. You have to reach there by sundown. Find a way inside the castle; I don't care how you do it. But whatever you do, _don't say you're from me_. They'd kill you on the spot for that.

"Find the princess and get her out of there. Preferably with the least amount of attention drawn to yourselves as possible. That means no massacres, Hiei."

"Hn."

I turned to look at him, studying his hard face, his ruby eyes focused on Koenma.

_Forbidden…_

Hiei's eyes flickered to mine, lingering on a cold glare. I took a sharp breath. "What are _you_ looking at?" he grunted at me. I saw Kurama looking at us discreetly.

Gathering my pride, I barked, "Nothing much." I quickly wanted to take it back when I saw his shocked face, which quickly changed into what looked like unbelievable fury.

"What'd you say-"

"I think we've got all we wanted, thanks Koenma, ah yes, Hiei, would you mind taking that map from him? Kumori, my, why don't you stand over here? A bit further from Hiei, maybe?" Kurama cut in quickly as he smiled nervously and grabbed my shoulders, slowly dragging me away from Hiei.

Wordlessly, the midget walked up, stared up at a slightly surprised Koenma, snatched the map, and walked beyond him. A swirling vortex soon appeared at his feet, but he wasn't the least bit surprised. He simply turned, cape being tugged by the violent winds, and stared expectantly at Kurama.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara," Kurama addressed, "you go in first."

"Why do we haveta-?"

"Just go, slowpoke," Yusuke said as he ushered his tall, orange-haired friend toward the portal and waiting demon. Koenma moved to the side for their easier access. Kuwabara stopped right in front of it, staring hard.

"Urameshi, are you sure this is sa-AAAAAAAAAAH!" he screamed as Yusuke smiled and pushed him through.

"It ain't like you haven't done it bef-HEY!" he shouted likewise as Koenma proceeded to push him through the portal as well.

I looked over my shoulder at Kurama's hand. "If you expect me to follow in the same order, there _will_ be blood on the ground."

"No, no, don't worry, you can go on your own account," the redhead said with a light chuckle as he let go of me. I began to walk, carefully, toward the portal. My eyes were fixated on Koenma, silently daring him to even _try_ to push me in.

He caught onto my suspicious glare and nodded to Hiei, then Kurama, and walked out of the forest behind me. I presume he disappeared into a portal too, because after that his footsteps ceased and his scent dispersed.

Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, I came to the portal. Now, never having been inside a portal before, I was hesitant and leaned forward, sniffing it. Before the scent could register, however, a strong hand suddenly shoved harshly between my shoulder blades, and I went head first into the swirling mass of the unknown.

"YaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed as the portal ended and left me in the air, and I was soaring toward tiny grains of sparkling sand. I braced myself by putting my arm in front of my face, and once it hit the ground I forced my body to roll, which resorted in an event that made me jolt back into the air by force of the landing. I took control of the air-borne act and flipped, then landed on the ground on all fours, my claws gripping the sand for anything I could hold onto.

"What a landing," I heard Yusuke's voice say, a hint of respect somewhere. I stood up and saw him and Kuwabara sitting on a sand dune, looking up at the parching sun.

I heard a flapping noise, clothing caught in a wind, and turned around. I smiled when I saw it was Hiei who had jumped out of the portal and was descending quite nicely. _I'll change that, you little mongrel…_

His back was turned to me, so I silently stalked up to him and when he was about to hit the ground, I took a handful of his cloak and threw him backwards. Caught on mild surprise, he drew his katana and instinctively took a stroke toward me. I drew my Sais and caught his blade between the shaft and the wing. I pulled it downward and went for my other Sai with my free hand, but Hiei saw it and pulled against me, forcing me to hold onto my Sai with both hands to keep him down.

"Why you…" I growled as my hands began to shake. _Damn, he's strong_

Kurama sighed as he landed softly on the sand. _With this constant fighting we won't get anywhere…_

As he decided to break up the fight, a flash of something blue caught his eye. When he looked up, it was too late to warn the two fiery demons.

I smelt salty water and instinctively leapt backward, my Sai falling from my hands. A tentacle of water crashed where I had been standing and wet the sand considerably. I growled and looked to the right, with everyone else, and saw the last thing I'd ever want to see.

"Found you, Kumori."

It came from a sickly sweet voiced woman who stood on the sand. Her long silver hair was straight and flowed to her knees. Two locks hovered about her face, one tipped in gold. Her deep gray eyes were holding what could be described as malicious arrogance. She wore a very short colorless shirt that covered only what was necessary, and a gold lining that ran down the center. It was latched over with a black tie.

Her stomach shone bare, and her hips covered in a loose rose fabric. Her light teal pants wereverybaggy and clinged to her knees.A glossy gold belt ran over the top of them.

A deep, throaty grow started within me and steadily grew louder until I snarled, "How'd you find me?"

She smiled, her gray eyes gleaming, and answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Well, master said he had someone send for you. Apparently you've stuck around with them for some reason. No matter, it'll all be over very soon."

"Well," Yusuke said as he stood up, blocking her view from me. She curiously changed her attention to him. "You certainly seem very full of yourself for someone we've never met before," he finished.

I closed my eyes, fists clenching tightly at my sides. "Yusuke, stay out of it."

The new arrival, however, was very amused at this comment. "Never met before?" she asked, laughter hitching her voice, "That's certainly something!"

"Care for an explanation?" Kurama asked.

"Not enough time in the day," I said, a sudden smile on my face. My hands began to shake, even when I released them from the tight grip.

Hiei looked at me, easily seeing through the emotional mask.

_Hn…_

"Speaking of which," I continued, turning to look for my Sais, "I'm busy at the moment and have to be somewhe-."

"Kanson City as well? What a coincidence!" she cut me off, startling me from my search. I glared at her through narrowed eyes.

"Yes…quite a coincidence…" Kurama said quietly.

"You guys are acting awfully familiar with each other," Kuwabara observed, "do you know her from somewhere, Kumori?"

"I'd rather not give details," I growled at him.

"As it is," she picked up again, "I have to be there as well."

"Too bad," I said, flashing a fanged smile and tensing my arms, slowly inching toward my weapons, "only one of us can get there alive."

She smiled. "My thoughts exactly."

I made a lunge for my Sais as she raised her left hand. My fingertips grazed one of the hilts, but they were pulled away from me as the wet sand rose from the ground and formed an orb, with my possessions inside. I caught my balance and stood, swiping my claws at the sand dome. It rose just out of reach, and then soared toward the woman.

"Michiko, you bitch!" I screamed at her, facing the monstrosity in all its glory.

"Ah, such profanity," she smiled, "haven't changed a bit in one hundred years, have you?"

"I've gotten faster," I growled, flashing into nothingness but shadows. In less then an eye blink, I flickered in front of her. "And, stronger," I bit out with a smirk, throwing a flamed fist toward her stomach.

Michiko fell to the ground, but quickly retaliated and kicked herself up, throwing her hands on my chest. I bore my fangs and tried to shrug her off, but coughed harshly as water began to fill my lungs. I stepped backward, threw my head to the side, even tried to focus on putting her hair to flames. But my lungs were filling to quickly and my body wouldn't respond to anything but coughing. Water began to spill from my mouth, my throat was raw, and I wasn't able to breathe.

I closed my eyes and tried one last attempt to draw something…anything…

In my chest, somewhere, I felt a small tug. Like a string, gently calling with a soft jerk. I felt my head grow heavy and unfamiliar darkness swirled around me. Despite that, I reached out for the string. I squinted in the darkness as it swirled around me, in my head, and began to block my vision. I reached out with my hand; desperately feeling for something I knew was there. Before the darkness completely numbed me and blocked my vision, I saw a glinting strand of red string…

I thrust forward in a last attempt, and my fingertips gripped the cool line and wrapped around it. Then I felt the cold darkness completely swallow me whole, and I blacked out…

--

I was still swimming in that forgiving darkness, and somehow found it unfamiliar. The usually warm feeling that that I was so accustomed had changed to a deathly cold and was tingling across my skin. I took a deep breath and felt a stinging air come with the breath as something came crashing on my chest. I screwed my eyes shut and tried to draw forth another breath, but it collided with me in my chest again and didn't give me time to do so. I sat up at the rushing feeling of water as it ran up my throat, and I coughed it all up into my soaking lap.

"Hey, she's conscious," someone shouted over my head. My eyes were still closed tightly, and my head foggy with muddled water. Then I fell back to the soft ground, flinching only slightly from the fall.

"Maybe not…" the voice continued at a lower, more pleasurable level.

"What do you make of Michiko, K-?"

"Michiko!" I shouted in a rushed gasp, sitting up and wildly searching for my Sais.

"Calm down," Kurama told me, his red head easy to make out in the near-darkness. _Darkness…?_

"She's taken care of."

"What?" I asked, suddenly very confused and curious, "who did it?"

"Well-" Kurama began.

Something was tossed into my lap carelessly, and I grabbed in instinctively. My fingertips wrapped around the recognizable grip of my Sai, and I raised it upward for closer inspection.

"There," a gruff voice grunted. I turned to my left, finding the black figure among the darkened sand. He wasn't looking at me, but studying something else rather intently.

My eyes squinted at him. "What _are_ you looking at?"

He flickered his gaze to me; his ruby eyes clear to make out with their heated stare and bright coloration. He tilted his hand, moving whatever he was examining into starlight. I raised my eyebrow when I recognized it at my other Sai.

After this was established he turned back to my weapon, continuing to scrutinize it. I snorted, shakily stood, and took in my surroundings. Sand. Just endless rolls of sand.

_Great…_ "What happened?" I asked, breaking the unwanted silence.

"After she was defeated," Kurama explained, "we all decided it best we stay here and try to wake you."

"I doubt it took you that many hours to wake me up," I mumbled angrily.

"It did, however, take a while to defeat Michiko," he reasoned. Then he sent me a very suspicious look. I swallowed the lump in my throat bravely and barked, "What?"

"It's just," he began slowly, "you two seem to have…a lot of familiarities…"

"We're exactly the opposite!" I snapped, balling my hands into fists. My eyes flashed dangerously as I continued, "I don't even know where you could have come up with such a stupid theory!"

"Sorry," Kurama apologized, "it was just a question…"

Somehow, I wanted to take it back. After all, they did save me…didn't they? _Whatever_ I decided, mentally pushing the thought away. "Day one is over and we're left with nothing accomplished. I say we make our way over to Kanson now."

"In the dark?" Hiei asked with high doubt.

"Why? Afraid?" I teased.

"Hn, its not me that's afraid of the dark, it's some of the weaker among us," he retorted, nodding his head lazily toward Kuwabara.

"Hey-! I am _not_ afraid of the dark!" he shouted.

"Besides," Hiei continued, "it isn't like I don't want this mission over with, but if we go now it's likely that we'll be attacked. After all, that's what you get with having humans in tow."

I bit back a suggestion that would sound like _then let's just drop the humans_ because that was out of the question. Of course we had to haul Kuwabara and Yusuke with us. Kuwabara was our track dog and Yusuke our main fighter. I think that's how it went.

"We're going to get attacked if we stay here, also!" I shouted. My right leg wobbled, almost giving out.

"Then we'll have to keep shifts in two. I suppose Kuwabara, Yusuke, and I will keep first watch and Hiei and Kumori second. After that we can continue-," Kurama suggested.

"But I don't want to be teamed up with _that_!" I opposed, shoving my finger inHiei's direction.

Hiei merely glanced at me. "She's worthless as a lookout. She's incapable to fight in this condition, or in any other." I seethed at him. "I believe we should separate into more fair groups and let _it_ sleep."

"Oh, 'incapable to fight?' I'll show you _incapable to fight_!" I barked as I made an attempt to stomp toward him.

Kurama sighed and said, "I only think you two should go last, not to mention _together_, because you two were the ones fighting, so it's only fair you two get more rest. And, Kumori is a shadow demon, Hiei, don't you think she'd be able to sense anything lurking in the dark easier then you could?"

"Hn."

"Ch'!" I snorted, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well…that's settled," Yusuke said as he scratched the back of his head.

"So we've got first shift? Fine with me!" Kuwabara said.

"So it's agreed. Yusuke Kuwabara and I first, Hiei and Kumori second," Kurama clarified.

Five minutes later, Kuwabara had given out blankets for us to sleep on, courtesy of him and his sister's consideration. They were mostly laid out pretty randomly. I picked a sandy boulder, while the others preferred the earth. Hiei had decided he didn't need a blanket and was standing somewhere on the other side of what you could call our 'camp'.

I was staring up at the sky, lying on my back. I took a deep breath of dusty air and nearly coughed from how _dry_ it seemed. My throat already felt raw, so I tried my best to breathe calmly and sleep. As I did, I found myself thinking over things Kurama had said.

_He never told me who defeated Michiko, but he did say Hiei and I were fighting…Did he…? No, that's ridiculous. He hates me, God knows why, but he hates me. I think that's his response to most things._

I shrugged off the thought of Hiei and tried to bring up something else that had been bothering me ever since I woke up.

_What the hell was that…that…thing that I felt when I was blacking out? Some sort of sting? Yes, I think that's what it was… _

…_Does it have to do with Hiei?_

"Nnnng," I groaned, putting my hand against my forehead. _I still can't think straight. I'll put these on the side and come back to them later. Michiko's attack is still messing with me. Best to sleep and forget it all, for now…_

* * *

A/N- Oi, that came out a bit quicker, ne? Well I hope this clears _some _things up, at least a bit. Yeah, other then that you guys know I've got a DeviantART account, right? Didn't I tell you that last time, or am I imagining things now? Ah well, doesn't matter, 'cause I'll tell you AGAIN! 

http/fuzzyears007. deviantart . com /

(Yeah, just delete the spaces and add a colen and another slash at the beginning) Feedback would be nice! _hinthint_


	9. Close Encounters

WHOO! Finally into the double digits! Yeah, I'd like to thank you all who have taken the time out to comment me. It was really sweet of you guys :cough: anyway, let's get into the story. To sort of celebrate for making it to the 10th chapter, I made it extra long. 4 thousand 4 hundred something words. Or something like that. Hope you all enjoy!

Now...

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS!_**

* * *

Something nudged me in the side. I swatted them away and turned over. However, they nudged me again. 

"Leave me _alone_!" I moaned, still trying to cling to sleep.

Then something whacked me in the head, and I opened half-lidded eyes. Some blurry black figure was frowning, his katana unsheathed and the hilt looking very suspicious.

"Get up, it's our shift," came a gruff command.

"Oh…" I said, vaguely aware it was Hiei who was waking me.

I sat up, rubbing my eye, and asked, "Are the others asleep already?"

"Kurama is the only one who could stay up the whole shift."

"Mm," I agreed. As I swung my legs around the edge of the rock, Hiei began to walk away. When I got to my feet I stretched my arms out for a wide yawn, and took the time to glance at him. Hiei was already situated over on the other side of the camp, staring intently in the distance with his back facing me. His katana was sheathed safely, but I couldn't tell if his hand was resting on the hilt or not because the cloak wrapped him entirely in black, making it very hard to tell.

I let my arms down, and decided it best to be over there as well. After all, if Michiko attacked me in the dark I might be able to sense her coming, but still recovering from our last encounter might put me at more of a disadvantage then I was hoping for. I carefully made my way between the three sleeping in the middle, but came to a stop when Kuwabara completely blocked my path.

"I have to walk _over_ him?" I wined to myself, cautiously trying to lift my leg over his obnoxiously placed body. As I did, he turned over in his sleep and knocked me off balance. I gave a short yelp and closed my eyes as I began to fall, but suddenly…stopped.

I looked up, seeing a very irritated Hiei holding me up by the back of my shirt. "Heh, um. Thanks," I mumbled as he go and I quickly stepped over Kuwabara, successfully this time.

"Clumsy," he muttered as he turned and walked back to where he was. I glared somewhat angrily and quietly followed. When I reached him, he snapped, "Why'd you follow me? Go back on your side."

I smirked at him, even though he wasn't looking. "Simply because if we're separated I won't be able to tell you quick enough if something was going to attack you. Plus, if you die that'll just be another black mark on my record."

He didn't respond.

I sighed and put my hands on my hips, deciding to stare up at the sky. The stars were crystal clear, and a large nebula spread out overhead over a sea of beep blue. Spare clouds loomed, but looked only as if they were mere wisps of spread out cotton through the intensity of the beaming moon. It lit the sand with an incredible glow

"Wow," I breathed, "that's beautiful." I continued to stare up at the sky, and noticed the moon was close to being full.

"You do talk, don't you?" I asked with a weak smile.

"We shouldn't be talking, we should be watching," Hiei said curtly.

I looked at him, wondering what was stopping him from at least talking to me. Then I remembered his past… _I suppose he has a bit of a reason…but he's still just plain rude!_ But he _was_ right. We really should be watching.

I turned the other direction and crossed my arms over my chest, glaring intently at the horizon. As soon as I began to concentrate on my senses, I felt something flickering through the shadows, right toward-!

"Hiei!" I shouted as I turned and tackled him to the ground.

"Are you crazy, onna?" Hiei shouted at me as he tried to push me off, but as he looked over my shoulder he stopped and held his breath. There was a huge shadowy snake slithering in the air, it's forked tongue flickering in and out as it searched the air. When I say _huge_ I mean _monstrous, _it's width sized to about ten feet, and it's length nearly fifty.

_Do what you do best and don't talk!_ I begged mentally, hoping somehow that he'd get the message.

_His trackers. He's after me again?_ I thought, looking over my shoulder at it.

The serpent's tail curled around its body in frustration, it's tongue still flickering furiously, and it moved its head in our direction.

_Don't come any closer, don't come any closer!_ I mentally prayed, but this just proved as a jinx. It's head skimmed closer to the sand as it waved its head from side to side, coming closer and closer…

I closed my eyes and let my hands go, the only thing holding me up. I lowered myself onto Hiei, blushing furiously, and cursed at myself. _After this trouble, I'll be damned if it…_

I held my breath as it hovered directly above us. Painfully aware of my current position, I somehow found the mental capacity to remember how I was. My hands were curved around his shoulders and my face was pressed against his chest. I hoped my hair was tossed over my face, because God knows it was glowing like a fire. One of his legs was bent, but when the tracker lowered he slowly pressed it down until it was against the sand. My legs were on either side of him, and my chest was pressed flat against his. Subconsciously I tried to forget it, and to remember the tracker was _directly_ above us and we could get caught with the slightest breath.

A light hiss buzzed through the air, and the serpent began to slowly move out of the campsite. I slowly let a long held breath drag out and began to breathe again, but just as the tracker began to slither away, the tip of it's tail slid so lightly against my arm. I breathed a curse as it instantly twisted around to face us, mouth wide open and fangs glistening. That was the only part of it that wasn't translucent.

I let go of Hiei's shoulders and pushed myself up into a fighting stance. Hiei sprung up as well and unsheathed his katana. I grabbed the one Sai I had placed back on my hip, but glared at Hiei when I couldn't find my second. He rolled his eyes and reached inside his cloak. Out came my other Sai, and he tossed it to me offhandedly. I caught it, but noticed that in this time there wasn't just one tracker, but a second. It must've been hiding in case the first found me. Hiei and I turned and pressed our backs together, each facing a different serpent.

"Just to let you know," I said as I twirled my Sais around my fingers, "after this I'm going to take a long, hot shower."

"I'll get there before you will, I promise."

"So let's get this over with fairly quickly, hm?"

I heard him smirk, a soft laugh coming out as he said, "For once we agree on something."

The trackers hissed and waved their heads back and forth, their tails swinging wildly and crashing into the sand. The flecks of gold grains splashed in the air like waves, but not a noise was made upon their contact.

"Cut the front of its neck," I said, and we both jumped off at the same time. I flew in the air easily, and it was mid-jump that the serpent flung its tail at me. I landed softly on it before flipping off and jumping toward the head. I landed neatly on the tip of its nose and prepared to jump off and slice it's throat, but I didn't get that far. The snake threw its head up and efficiently tossed me in the air. Its mouth was wide and open, fangs glistening with wet saliva, as it waited for its snack.

However, its mouth was promptly shut when a white fuzz ball whacked against it, confusing the serpent into snapping its mouth shut. The white thing then uncurled its self and bit onto the nostril of the serpent, making it toss its head back and forth.

_What the-!_ I shook the small interruption, glad it had occurred, and landed on the tip of the snake's nose again. I grabbed the white thing and cut the forehead of the serpent. It hissed and swished its powerful tail toward me, but I flickered into a shadow and landed on the ground. I looked down at my hostage and found it to be….

"A weasel?" I shouted in confusion.

It looked up at me, almost smiling, before I heard, "Actually, he's a ferret."

I turned toward where the voice originated, and found a young woman standing a mere few feet away. She had roughly cut silver hair with blue tips, and it was cut a bit above her shoulders. She wore a pair of vibrant blue tinted goggles on her head and a pair of roughed up jean shorts with a ridiculously large leather belt. Her white shirt cut off at her stomach and had a deep v cut. The sleeves stopped at her biceps and had a large circle cut out over each of her shoulders. At her arrival the ferret hopped from my arms and raced toward her. In a blur it swirled around her leg and climbed around her body until perching on her shoulder.

"And his name's Twitchy," she finished, petting his head affectionately. Twitchy closed his eyes and leaned into her hand with pleasure.

"I don't really give a damn right now," I said harshly, turning my attention to the serpent beside me. It was coiling and uncoiling in confusion, bashing its head around as it tried to clear its vision of blood.

"Well, looks like _you_ could use some help," she said.

"I don't _need_ any _help_!" I shouted as I ran toward the snake again. I dodged its flailing tail once by jumping over it, but another part of it came flying into my stomach and clearly knocked the wind out of me. I fell backwards into the sand, barely feeling the burn of the hot sand against my back in my determination.

Breathing somewhat harshly, I got to my feet again and managed to flicker into a shadow. The serpent hissed in frustration once the blood had cleared, but recognized the attack plan. I was mildly surprised to exit at what should have been the side of the serpent's neck when it was actually its mouth. I gave a yelp of surprise as it snapped at me, managing to nick my shoulder; at the same time wrapping it's tail around my stomach. I bit back the pain and realized the opportunity of the close contact it made. I bore my fangs and gripped my right Sai tightly, and thrust it into the soft flesh under its head. It hissed in pain and tossed it's bleeding head backward. I frowned as the tail tightened around my stomach, but as it got to a particularly painful point I began to gag instead.

"Enough is enough," I growled, and slid my Sais into the back of my shirt. Then I flexed my claws, my long, beautiful claws, and lunged into the tracker's tail. At first it squeezed harder, but that compelled me to lunge my fangs into its tail as hard as I could. At this the tail released me, and I quickly jumped from its reaches and back flipped out of its desperate recoiling grasp.

I landed on the side of its neck, using my right hand to pierce the tough scales and hold me in place. Taking the opportunity I sliced across the two protruding veins on its neck with my left hand. Instantly black fluid ran freely, and it's head collapsed on the ground.

I jumped off and landed neatly, wiping my hands on the sand to get rid of the sticky blood. I turned toward Twitchy and his supposed owner, a faint but self-respecting smirk visible.

"Well," she said, "you certainly did take care of that beast with an experienced hand."

My smirk faded into a frown as I scoffed and turned toward Hiei.

"Beginner's luck."

I reached Hiei shortly. He was giving me a disbelieving frown; his serpent was already decapitated with the remains on the sand and starting to disappear. Scales slowly drifted upward, along with scraps of flesh, and dispersed into nothingness in the air.

_That didn't look like beginner's luck to me_ the woman thought to herself as she continued to pet Twitchy.

"The sun's coming up," I said abruptly, "we'll wake the others and get them started toward the city."

Hiei gave me a skeptical look, but shrugged it off with a "Hn" and walked past me, toward the camp. I sighed as he brushed me and carefully clasped my left shoulder after he had left. It was bleeding slightly, and had an unnatural purple tint to it. _Poison_ I thought with a mental sigh. It was throbbing in pain, a steady pain that I had become accustomed to for a long, long time.

"Excuse me," came a reply as someone tapped me on my good shoulder. I turned to face the woman from before. She was smiling. "You said something about going to the city. You wouldn't happen to mean Kanson City, would you?"

"What's it to you?" I asked suspiciously.

"I can help you there. After all, you did kill those Shadow Serpents, didn't you? That was a great help to me, and to Twitchy." Her little ferret nodded his head enthusiastically, and she smiled at him and scratched behind his ear.

"So, I'm Muzei," she said, holding out her hand. I hesitated. _Should I really trust her? Well… at least she can take us to Kanson._

"Kumori," I smiled, reaching out and met her hand. Muzei smiled too, and with a strong shake of hands the deal was sealed.

I slipped my hand from hers and turned. "Come on, the other's have to get ready." She followed me, and we walked back to camp. I smiled when I saw Hiei kicking Kuwabara in the side.

"Wake up. We're moving."

"Five more minutes, sis…" was his response, rolling over.

Hiei smirked. "Fine, then we'll leave you behind."

Muzei stepped forward, beside me. I didn't notice when she looked curiously at me.

Yusuke was grumbling, already getting up. "You two, arguing already…" he looked up at the dark sky. "The damn sun isn't even up yet!"

"Never mind the sun," I snapped, "we got absolutely nothing accomplished yesterday. We're leaving extra early to get a head start today. Get up, gather your stuff, or stay behind with these things." I jerked my thumb behind me at the slowly disappearing serpents. Kuwabara did a double take.

"Bunches of Brownies, what _are_ those things!" he shouted.

"I'll explain more thoroughly when we get to Kanson," Muzei spoke up, surveying the people.

"Who's this?" Kurama asked, fully awake and his blanket already folded.

"Muzei," I answered, "she's going to be our guide to Kanson."

Kurama stood and walked over to her, smiling as he greeted her. "Hello, I'm Kurama. I presume you've already met Kumori and Hiei. Well, the others are Yusuke, and that one on the ground is Kuwabara," he said, pointing to each as he said their name.

"Well, you've got quite the crew," Muzei said.

"Yes, and sometimes it gets out of hand, but we manage," Kurama replied.

I tuned the conversation out after that and began to wonder what this Muzei was doing out in the middle of nowhere. _She comes out after the Shadow Serpents and said it was a help… she could have been lying. In fact, she could have accompanied the Shadow Serpents and showed them the way here. So… that means Shikai could very well be the newest addition to his game. An ally to him is an enemy to me. I'd better keep aware of her if she's traveling with us._

I tuned back in with Kurama and Muzei, this time intent on picking up any information I could to catch a slip up.

"…Can you really take us to Kanson?"

"Yeah, Twitchy and I live there."

"Twitchy…?" Kurama asked curiously.

A white head scampered over Muzei's shoulder, his golden eyes bright and sparkling. Kurama's responded by widening, and he immediately took three quick steps backwards. "I-it's very nice to meet you too, Twitchy."

Muzei's face was that of confusion, but it passed with a light laugh. "You aren't afraid of him, are you?"

"Not at all," Kurama said with a sheepish smile.

Muzei smiled, and Twitchy shook his head. I turned away from them when I heard a loud yip. Yusuke shouted, "I told ya to move your lazy **ass**!"

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" Kuwabara shouted as he jumped to his feet, glaring sourly at Yusuke.

"So, let's get a move on then," I shouted, waving my arms as a signal and turning around. I began to walk, and the others quickly grabbed their things and moved on as well.

* * *

Over time, Yusuke and Kuwabara found their way to the head of the group with Muzei leading. Kurama walked beside me, and Hiei was behind us. The three up front were chatting lively, but the only noise around us were the soft sifting of sand as it was moved around our feet. 

I found myself slipping my hand under the collar of my shirt and running my fingertips along the still fresh wound on my shoulder. It was stinging horribly and throbbed in pain, but I let on no emotion. It was nothing more then a nuisance. At least that's what I convinced myself.

_By now the Shadow Serpents must be completely depleted. Good, that means no scavengers will be following us in search for more food. We've only traveled about three quarters of a mile so far. If we're traveling this slowly we'll never make it in time._

As I opened my mouth to say something, Kurama interrupted me, "Kumori, what's wrong with your shoulder?"

"Nothing," I muttered before changing my attention to our new guide, "Oi! Muzei! We need to pick up the pace; we're going too slow. We've gotta be at Kanson _today_!"

"If you're a speed demon, then," she said as she stopped walking and rummaged through her pockets. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked over, muttering something along the lines of, "what's she doing?" Kurama, Hiei and I just stopped walking.

"Here!" Muzei said with a cry of triumph as she pulled out a small wooden device. It was hollow and circular in the middle. A rectangular piece extended toward Muzei, while the end extended upward and was spiral-shaped.

Muzei put her lips to the rectangular piece and blew, and I braced myself. _Is she calling backup?_ I thought, my hands seeking the hilts of my Sais that I had sheathed in our time walking. No sound came, but Muzei gave five long blows of air into the piece.

We waited for a minute before I shouted edgily, "What the hell was that?"

"Keep your pants on, they're coming," Muzei said with a hint of irritation in her voice. At this I unsheathed my Sais silently, preparing for the assault when I saw a cloud of dust in the distance.

_Here they come_ I thought, small fires eliciting at the sharp tips of my weapons. A single drop of sweat slid down the side of my face as the sun beat harshly down on me, and the image in the distance wavered in the intense heat. From the hill we were standing on the things running toward us disappeared. I knew they were coming up this hill, and flipped my Sais impatiently.

_Now!_ The three figures reached the top of the hill, and I rushed forward. I brought my arm up to slice through the throat of the beast, but stopped when a large watt of thick yellow spit was deposited on my forehead. My eyes widened in shock, and the large head of a camel lowered itself to my eyelevel. It stared lazily at me, and I glared with pure loathing at it as the spit slowly dripped down my face. Then it opened its mouth and made a loud moan. It was almost as if it was laughing at me.

"What're you doing?" Muzei asked condescendingly as she walked beside me and hopped on the camel.

"Figures," I grumbled angrily as I sheathed my Sais and wiped the camel spit out of my face.

I could hear Yusuke and Kuwabara's laughter from behind me, and even Kurama's snicker, although he tried his best to hide it. And I just _knew_ Hiei was smirking at me.

"Come on, these will get us to Kanson faster then on foot. Hop on this one, camel girl," Muzei said as she patted the hump of the camel beside her. I shot a glare at Muzei, then her disgusting camel, and stepped beside the one beside hers.

"Everyone else, hop on a camel and get used to it," she shouted, directing the others to their camels as I stared at mine. It stared back, lazy and uncaring.

Carefully, I stepped to the side. I saw the saddle; it was thick and a deep teal color. A threaded mat was underneath it, protecting the camel's back. A large case was tied to the saddle. It had a zipper on it.

I looked at the reigns, resting so innocently at the camel's neck. I snatched them, accidentally giving a little tug. My camel moaned and began to walk forward, and in my confusion I gave a mighty tug backwards, shouting, "Where do you think _you're_ going?" The camel reared up, nearly roaring, before pounding back on the ground and turning to glare at me.

"Are you so senseless that you can't even ride a camel?" came a witty reply from behind me. I turned and glared at Hiei.

"What're _you_ doing here?" I grunted, turning back to my current problem.

"Hiei will be riding with you!" Muzei shouted from her camel. I glanced up at her and saw Kurama sitting behind her. Kuwabara and Yusuke were scampering above their camel, which only left us…

_Sigh_

"Fine!" I shouted, angry with myself suddenly. I could at least get on a camel, right? Right.

"Ready or not," I said, and gently tugged on the reigns as I hopped on and wiggled my left foot into the stirrup. I swung my right foot around the back of the camel and fit it into the proper stirrup there.

Smiling, I looked down at Hiei and offered my hand to him. He grunted and looked around, trying to find somehow else to get on. Finding none, he looked away, but still took my hand. I tightened my grip on his wrist and pulled him upward as quickly as I could. When he was high enough, he grabbed the side of the saddle and pulled himself the rest of the way, hastily letting my hand go.

"Don't think for a second I needed your help."

"Didn't even pass my mind," I replied steadily, sitting happily on the shoulders of the camel.

"Everyone get on alright?"Muzei asked, "Are you alright, camel girl?"

"Dandy," I spat at her. She smiled. I scowled.

"Ok now, follow my lead and don't pull too hard. You're going to be riding these sweet things for a while, and it's going to be a long way we have to travel. I suggest you treat them nicely, or else they'll buck you off and leave you for the dead. And we're not making any second trips. Do I make myself clear?" Muzei shouted.

"Crystal!" Yusuke shouted.

She smiled. "Good."

I pulled on the reigns, bearing in mind what the scamp had just said. Everyone else did likewise and the camels already knew the way. It was odd at first, with the shoulders making long unsteady paces, but I got used to it.

_Might as well_ I thought. My teeth clenched as my shoulder throbbed again. The sooner we got to Kanson the better. They're bound to have the items I need to clear up this poison. Then we can grab the Queen and be off, onto our next mission. Well, I have other things to attend to.

Namely, Michiko.

* * *

Onna- woman 

I especially liked writing the part about the camel. Just to build up all that tension, and then...! It's a camel! XD

_NOTE! _I deleated the Preview because it didn't match the next chaper. XD My writing just seems to escape me sometimes!


	10. Entering City Limits

Oh yeah, the preview for last time is the preview for next time. Get it? Sorry, my writing escaped me. I hope this isn't boring, it seemed kinda stale to me. Lately I've been having a rough time writing. I suppose that without the Yu Yu Hakusho episodes I've been losing inspiriation. Hopefully I can get the Yu Yu Hakusho Movie before my writing fuel runs out! Because then I wouldn't have the ability to write anymore. WOULDN'T THAT JUST BE TERRIBLE! Well, anyway...

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS!_**

* * *

Burn it Black 

Ch. 11- Entering City Limits

入る市境

By the time we reached the city boundaries, even I found the heat unbearable. With the high temperature it brought out the smell in the saddle. Every time I tried to breathe I gagged on the stale scent of smelly camels. It was disgusting, and heightened with my sensitive nose.

But compared to the discomfort I had with the pungent scent of camel, Kurama was in a living hell. Yusuke and Kuwabara found their situation to be unbearable as well, and decided to remind Kurama of this every few seconds.

"It's like living in an _oven _here!" Yusuke shouted.

"I know," sighed Kurama.

"How do people possibly live here? It's too hot!" Kuwabara complained.

"I know."

"Why are we here anyway?" Yusuke cried, tossing his head back.

"I know."

They continued to batter the poor redhead relentlessly, but I lost concentration to the throbbing pain in my shoulder. It really was trying me, and if we didn't get to Kansan soon I was sure I'd go crazy.

"Finally! Kansan in the distance!" Muzei shouted as we breached the top of a tall hill that overlooked the city.

I lifted my head in disbelief, the rays of the setting sun behind the city to make it glow with a red tint. After I saw Muzei's camel pause I gave mine a sharp tug, and it stopped as well.

The city had a large wall that wrapped around it, and inside that wall were tons of buildings and streets. In the back there was a tall castle, the usual fantasy-shaped one with towers and flags. It looked to be placed upon a hill of sorts, setting it apart from the commoner's houses.

"At last," I breathed, my hands gripping the leather reigns in apprehension of a fresh, hot shower. Subconsciously I had wrapped them around my hands during the ride, so this small action pulled the reigns a bit tightly on the camel. It released a loud moan in irritation, and in a startled attempt to fix it I pulled my arms up. Bad mistake.

The camel groaned and reared up in displeasure, forcing me to squeeze my thighs around its shoulders. Suddenly I felt hands grab my waist and I screamed, pulling hard on the reigns in a mixture of confusion and shock. The camel shot down the hill in a flash, and I grabbed its neck to keep from falling off.

I took this time to shoot a glare behind me at Hiei, who was glaring at his hands, gripped tightly to the horn of the saddle.

"What the _hell_ was that, you perverted midget?" I shouted.

His eyes flickered to me and he barked, "I was going to fall off because _you_ don't know how to ride a damn _camel_!"

"Like you could do any better, you short-tempered bastard!" I shot back.

"At least I didn't try to kill a camel and got **spat** upon in the process!" heroared, spooking the camel into running faster. It almost tripped over its own clumsy feet in its haste, and I grabbed its neck for balance again.

_"SHUT UP!"_

Muzei and Kurama, still back on the hill, watched with growing interest as the cloud of dust shouted insults back and forth.

"They make an interesting pair," Muzei said with a smile.

"Interesting indeed," Kurama said.

"Let's get there before they rip each other's throats out," Yusuke suggested.

"Mmhm," Muzei agreed, then clicked her tongue. The camels both began to move at once, starting at a fast pace toward their destination.

--

We met at the bottom of the wall, steered to the side for a discreet entrance. The road was made of cobblestone, with sand lining the edges and inside the cracks. Muzei was leading again, her camel showing us the way to the far left. I took tactful notice to everything around us, checking the shadows for any stalkers. Yusuke and Kuwabara were beside us, a bit further up.

It was silent between Hiei and I. I was still fuming that he had even _dared_ touch me, and he was caught in his own thoughts. _Where he gets the spunk-!_ I thought angrily, tying the reigns in my hands again. I noticed it this time, though, and took care into unwrapping them.

As soon as I completed that, my hand quickly shot under the collar of my shirt as pain streaked in my shoulder again. I winced, the intensity growing steadily. I forgot the passion of hate I had for Hiei and quickly indulged in wondering when I'd find the time to grab the necessary items for the brew. They _had_ to have it here. They just had to…

"Here," Muzei said, and I looked up after placing both hands on the reigns again. There was a hole in the wall, covered with a green blanket.

Muzei slid off the side of her camel, and I decided to do the same. Getting a fistful of the reigns again, I unhooked my right foot from the stirrup and swung it around the camel's shoulders. My left foot was free from the stirrup as well, and with that I simply jumped down. Hiei landed but a millisecond behind me, and I walked toward Muzei.

"Through here," she said, reaching to hold the blanket up for me. I scoffed, but moved under it anyway. Inside looked like a storage room; boxes were stuffed in the corners of the room in high piles. There was a mattress lying idly on the floor, springs popping from the sides, and what could be called a dresser pushed against a wall.

"Nice place you got here," I said sarcastically as the others followed in.

"Oh, this isn't mine. It's Kori's room."

"Kori?" I asked dryly. Muzei just gave an unsettling smile to the remark. Suddenly what felt like a physic wave crashed into me and I noticed something moving at a lightning pace through the shadows. Then a man was standing in front of me, my hand in his, with a sly smile on his lips.

"Kori, pleasure to meet you," he said raising my hand in front of his golden eyes.

It took a moment for me to register what had happened, but when it did I pursed my lips and tore my hand away from his, putting in on my hip firmly. The man tilted his head toward me, his long silver hair tied back in a black ribbon. He had two colorless fox ears on top his head and a black and white scarf wrapped around his neck. A green vest exposed his fair skinned chest, and he wore a pair of jean shorts, one that reached the floor and the other only to his knee.

"Shrewd," I mumbled.

"Discerning," he complimented me.

I crossed my arms and looked to Muzei. "Anyone else you'd like to introduce?"

"Actually, yes," she replied, and walked toward the door behind her. She grasped the doorknob and pulled, and standing was a tall fellow with deep green skin and piercing yellow eyes. He had a club hauled over his shoulder and wore an old, thick breast armor over his chest. Remains of a torn yellow shirt were visible behind this, and his long, camouflage jean pants hid most of his feet from sight.

"Say hello to Kinryoku," Muzei said happily.

"Hey," Yusuke shouted, smiling.

Kuwabara said, "What's up, big guy?"

Kurama replied, "Nice to meet you."

Hiei stared, and I looked him over carefully. His small yellow eyes were high on his head, but they seemed to have no bloodlust or otherwise hateful look to them whatsoever. In fact, he was almost… peaceful.

"Hello, and what are you all doing here?" he asked, waving an arm at us.

"Tourists," I replied, drumming my fingers along my arm.

"Hmm, interesting. Seeing as you don't have cameras or a driving vehicle. Or money, for that matter," Kori replied steadily, rising and leaning against a box. He eyed me with an intense stare, unwavering.

I drew a sharp breath and said, "It's none of your business anyway. Don't ask of our intentions and we won't ask of yours. Got it?"

"She's the arrogant one," Muzei announced, smiling again.

I glared at her, flexing my claws anxiously.

"No, not arrogant, just… doesn't trust easily," Kurama offered, trying to help me.

"Muzei," Yusuke said, "didn't you say you'd explain more about those monsters at the camp site?"

"Oh," she said, a serious expression settling on her face. Kori turned to look at her, and something passed between their eyes. He glanced at Kinryoku, who gave a grunt. Then he turned back to us, looking us over.

"Those were called Shadow Serpents," Kori started, "and they've been hangin' around the city wall as of late. Now, Shadow Serpents usually stay in the Shadow Realm and don't bother to come out into the Maikai, and never the Ninjenkai. Also, they try to stay away from other demons; solitary by nature."

"But, since they've been slithering around here they've taken a few demons who go out for a midnight walk," Muzei picked up, "At first we thought it was just a snack for them, but the attacks have been getting more and more frequent and they've been spotted in larger numbers. I thought it was someone in the castle they were targeting, but… it seems that's where they're coming from in the first place."

My eyes widened and I held my breath. _Here? In the castle! Why didn't I recognize it? _

"So when they suddenly disappeared into the desert, I followed in curiosity. Why they left for you all is yet to be discovered," she said, eyeing Hiei and me suspiciously.

I let my arms go and reached for my Sais, deciding I had no more time to waste with these fools. I gasped when I didn't feel them, and glared hard at Kori. He was smiling at me, balancing of my Sais on his index finger and the other held tightly in his hand.

_He's good. Well, time to test my skills. _I flickered into a shadow and reappeared on the opposite wall, holding my Sais tightly. Kori smiled at me, and I spat, "Don't _touch_ my things."

"We're obviously not getting along very well," Yusuke said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I glared at it, considered biting it, but then decided against it. I took a deep breath, and slowly let it loose.

Suddenly a stream of burning hot pain shot up my shoulder, and I fell to my knees. I grabbed it and squeezed tightly, trying to block out the blinding pain. My breath was coming in shallow rasps, and in a desperate attempt to make the pain stop I dug my claws into the skin. Instantly purple blood rushed to the surface, and I yelped in pain as the air hit the wound, but I needed it to stop, so I dragged my claws down the shoulder.

Then someone stopped me. They grabbed my wrist and tore it away from the skin. A burning sensation ran all up and down my arm, but it wasn't the familiar kind that I'd come to know as fire. It was poison, and it was clouding over my vision… I tried to keep my eyes open, I tried to fight it away, but… I couldn't. I feel unconscious to the disgusting red tinted smile I had come to familiarize with him, and the empty feeling that it brought.

--

I was standing in a cold, cold place. I felt some kind of freezing substance up to my knees, and something equally as cold hitting my face. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in a valley of snow, a deserted, barren wasteland. The cold wind blew my hair off my shoulders and beat my skin until it was numb. I felt lightheaded; I could barely register anything but the cold…

Fingertips grazed along my right shoulder, moved slowly across my collarbone, and began to press down hard when it reached to my left shoulder. I opened my lips for a silent scream as a burning sensation hit me again. It felt like my shoulder was collapsing in on itself, and this fingertip made it do so.

I desperately attempted to open my eyes, but I knew what I would see. It traced a symbol in my shoulder, bringing it to resurface with all the pain of when it was first set. I nearly crumpled under the pain, but instead found myself able to reach out and seize the hand. It was surprised at first, lifting from my shoulder and shaking with the intensity of my grip.

"Let… go," I whispered, baring my fangs and cracking open my eyes. I glimpsed snow-white hair, a bloodied smile, and a flash of bright blue eyes. Then it was gone.

--

I gasped as I woke up, cold sweat beaded on my forehead and my hand outstretched. As I struggled to catch my breath, I looked around. Kurama and Hiei were to my right, and Muzei to my left. She had bandages in her hand, already half applied, but it looked as if she stopped suddenly.

"You ok?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Here, this will help," she said, reaching out behind her and grabbing a glass with purple liquid inside. I took it, forgetting my suspicions about her, and drank a long swill. When I dropped the edge from my lips, I sniffed it. The ingredients were pungent and easy to pick out: water, Shakuhou berries, and grinded Seidaku leaves. I took another sip, savoring the warm water as it entered my mouth and left a sugary sweet taste.

"…Thank you," I whispered softly as I lowered the glass and felt the pain begin to drift away smoothly. I continued to stare at the glass when I curled my legs under me cross-legged, swirling the liquid in the glass around the bottom. Kurama looked over my head and smiled at Muzei, who returned it softly.

Then she began to wrap my arm again, and I didn't complain. "That poison made you more violent and unfocused. That's why it hurt when Kori entered the room," Muzei explained.

I opened my mouth to ask how she knew, but she replied first, "Kori told me he could sense it. He's a shadow apparition, too. Quite good you two are."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kurama asked.

I shrugged. "I… I didn't need your help."

He sighed, "Next time you get hurt, you have to tell us. You can't loose your pride by having someone help you a little."

I stared hard at my claws, thinking about that, and about what happened when I was unconscious.

_"I'll come back for you in time…"_

I gave a quiet gasp, remembering his smile. Oh, that smile haunted me. It was hiding in the corners of my mind, sending me shivers in the night. It didn't let me dream, it kept me locked in my memories. Either that or that barren wasteland… but never free. Never truly free…

"Where's everyone?" I asked abruptly, noticing Hiei's absence. He had already left, when I was thinking.

"In and around the house," Muzei said, "I didn't want 'em moving out without you."

I stopped swirling the remaining purple liquid and set the glass aside, turning and pushing myself off the bed. As I turned my head, I looked around.

I was previously sitting on a raised bed, and directly in front of me was a vanilla wall, a large gap could be seen through the bamboo screen hanging from the top. I could hear people laughing, people buying and selling things, I could smell fresh meat and vegetables.

I looked downward, thinking of if we shouldn't explore outside first. Not for any particular purpose, it was just… fun. Exploring was one of my favorite things to do, and kept inside that house for so long didn't provide a lot of entertainment.

"Let's go," I said simply, turning to face Muzei. She smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile myself at the thought of actually getting out, a chance to use my senses to their fullest extent, to really indulge in culture and different people. It was a break that I deserved, and I was going to enjoy it all I could.

--

I left Muzei and Kurama to find the others, while I decided to take a shower. My footsteps echoed down the empty hallway, cement under my feet and stones on the walls. I looked over each door carefully, remembering Muzei's instructions as clear as I could.

_"Oh, just walk down that hallway there," she said, pointing toward an entrance to said hallway, "turn right, and then take the sixth door to the left."_

"Here," I said as I counted the sixth door. It was a pale wood, with a rounded bronze doorknob. Putting my hand around it, I softly twisted it. But I only got to move it a bit before it was stuck. Furrowing my eyebrows at it, I jerked the doorknob to the side.

"Locked?" I asked myself, letting go of the knob and glaring at the door. A thought passed my mind, but I forgot it as I rasped my knuckles against the wood.

"Hey!" I shouted, but there was no response. Agitated, I leaned my face against the door, ear pressed firmly. I heard water running, but it was being turned off with a squeaky knob.

_Hiei!_ I thought, _that impudent little brat! Just when I needed to take a shower, too._

The door opened quickly and unexpectedly, and I gave a short yelp as I fell onto a hot, wet, _bare_ chest. Blushing somewhat, I looked up and found the surprised, but smiling face of Kori. His golden eyes were sparkling, and his silver hair was matted against his shoulders as steam rose from his skin.

"What a wonderful surprise," he murmured, and I pushed away from him.

Glaring at the wet stains on the front of my shirt with distaste, I heard him close the door behind him. When I looked up, I saw him with one hand on the white towel around his waist and the other holding a bundle of his clothes.

"Well, I'm off to my room to change. Here," he said, letting go of the hand on his towel and grabbing another from his clothes, "you'll need this."

I caught the towel silently and looked at it carefully. As he began to walk away, he said, "No thanks?"

"Why would I?" I asked.

"Because without that, you'd be walking outside naked," he threw over his shoulder as he continued to walk down the hall.

I felt heat rush up to my face at the thought of it, but quickly pushed it away and opened the door. The air was thick with hot steam, and the white tiled that made up the room were warm to the touch. It was rather small, but suitable. I turned and locked the door, twisting it for assurance, before turning toward the small plastic chair in the corner.

I quickly peeled off my clothes that clung to me in the heat of the desert and that of the room, and tossed them onto the chair. I sighed as a fresh feeling came from removing the heavy clothes I always wore.

I turned to my right, finding a small wall in which the shower hid behind. In front of that was a toilet and sink, both of which had droplets of water on their smooth surface. I reached out and grabbed the white shower curtain, tugging it aside. Carefully, I stepped inside the shower and pulled the curtain back. As I grabbed the knob and turned it, scorching hot water poured down, searing into my skin.

A smile graced my face, and I relished in the sensation as it cleansed me from my worries and my enemies, my future and my past. I fell into my subconscious, not even remembering when I washed over my right shoulder, right over the blackened skin. The symbol that I had a reason to live. To be his tool.

--

_Meanwhile_

Muzei and Kurama were sitting in the former room, they hadn't moved yet. Kurama shifted against the wall, his finger to his chin.

"That mark on her shoulder must mean something critical," he mused, and Muzei nodded her head.

"From what you've told me, it sounds like someone wanted to wait until they were ready to let her go. They may have used you people because you were convenient."

"Hm, that is plausible…. I'm suspicious at whoever sent that letter. They obviously wanted Kumori out, and they have a history with Koenma. For a moment, let's say he was the one who set Kumori there in the first place."

"So they bided their time doing whatever until they were ready for her, which was about a week ago," Muzei said.

"We should be on watch of anyone suspicious… He should make his appearance soon," Kurama mumbled.

"Who's going to make his appearance soon?"

The two turned toward the hallway. I was rubbing the towel in my hair, already dressed and dry for the most part. I looked at Kurama questioningly.

"Kori," Muzei said brightly, "We found the others and got them all into one room, but we couldn't find Kori."

"He took a shower just before I did," I told them, deliberately forgetting how I found him.

"Present," came a voice behind me. I rolled my eyes, mumbling, "Show off."

Kori walked in front of me, a line of the others following him. "I thought it was about time we went outside, hm? So I rounded up the others. Now, let's go!" he shouted, and flickered into the shadows.

"I agree," came the heavy voice of Kinryoku as he made his way past me. He reached the entrance and held up the bamboo, saying, "Come on Muzei. Time to go."

She gave a glance at us and said, "Can you get around on your own? Wouldn't want such sweet tourists to get lost in such a big city."

"I think we'll be fine, thanks," Kurama said, smiling.

"Ok, then," she replied, hopping off the bed and running out the door. When Kinryoku left with her, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei walked in as well.

"We have to find the princess as quickly as we can. That's top poirity," Yusuke said, hitting his fist against his open palm, "So we're gonna go out there, bust into the castle, and grab the princess. Then run outta there like we're on fire! Any questions?"

I stared at Yusuke, hoping that something would snap and he'd realize just how hazardous his "plan" was. But, much to my surprise, Kurama sighed and said, "Good, let's go then."

My mouth dropped, and I said, "Y-You're gonna let him storm into the castle? Just like that? We'll obviously get caught!"

Kuwabara and Hiei began to move out of the room with Yusuke leading, but Kurama and I stayed behind to argue.

"Yusuke's plans are always like this, and we make it out with a mission accomplished. Somehow he's like that," he reasoned.

I closed my eyes and thought it over. _If we did charge the castle, they'd send their defense to deal with us, and obviously keep the princess and Queen farthest away from the battle that they can. Which would be in the utmost part of the castle. So when we're fighting, someone would get the Queen. Besides, I get to fight an entire army…_

I smiled and looked at Kurama. "Say, I wouldn't get in trouble if I killed the demons at the castle, right?"

"No, you wouldn't."

I beamed at him and shouted, "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Kurama smiled and followed me as I raced out the door, into the bright light of day, and on our way to catch up with the others. This was going to be too much fun.

* * *

Something's happened to my computer, and it's deleting my chapters left and right, then screwing up the ones I have. Also, my usual reviewers aren't reviewing, so I'm going to request a minimum of 4 reviews until I update again. Sorry, but if there's something wrong making people stop reading my story I implore you toinform me! 


	11. Heroic Ferrets and Mad Oxen

YES. UPDATE. FINALLY. I was cut off of the computer for a time, so I couldn't update when I wanted too, which is part of why this is so incredibly late. Sorry 'bout that.

Another thing- the chapers are messed up. I think I might have deleated a chapter somewhere, so I'll have to find where that was and insert it again. That's why it says ch. 11 but I wrote ch. 12. Just if any of you noticed that bit.

Sank-youuu for editing, 4-is-lovely. You're too kind to me.

Now...

**_ONWARD MY TRUSTY READERS_**

**_-------_**

Burn it Black

Ch. 12- Heroic Ferrets and Mad Oxen

英雄的なフェレットおよび気違いのウシ

--

--

It was wonderful. There were stands everywhere, most having things like fruit and clothing for sale. Usually elderly people hosted them, accompanied with their grandchildren, and happily traded money for goods.

As we passed a fruit stand, the sweet scent of watermelon rose in the air as the squares were cut and passed to customers. I turned toward it, watching the skinny man bring the large butcher knife down on the fruit. Some of the water splashed onto the white tablecloth that covered his stand, but he didn't mind. His customer, a brown haired woman with two young boys, took it gratefully. She moved to the side and broke it in half, giving each to the two siblings. They happily took the pieces, their fox ears twitching wildly at the sides of their faces as their golden eyes sparkled in delight.

I turned from them and looked ahead, at the back of Kuwabara's curly orange hair and Yusuke's slicked back one. Ahead of them the streets were dusty and divided into two lanes, one coming and one going. There was no designated line to part the lanes, but one understood which was which by the passing people and carts.

The two chatted lively, and Kurama and Hiei communicated every now and then. I didn't pay any attention, for mine was distracted on all the people and noises around us. There were buildings behind the shops, the apartments that these people lived in. Most likely the shops led to the apartments, and the people who owned the shops lived in those homes.

"Ah!" came a light cry in front of me, and something landed on my feet. I looked down and found a little girl had fallen to the ground, a small sack of money just a bit beyond her reach. It appeared she had dropped it when she fell. Yusuke and Kuwabara turned around to see what had happened, and Kurama and Hiei looked on from behind.

The little girl blinked her wide orange eyes for a moment to clear them from the dust before she turned her head up to me. After a moment of staring blankly at me she closed her eyes and bowed, saying hurriedly, "Oh I'm sorry miss I didn't mean to fall on you I-I was just being clumsy it won't happen ever again please forgive me!"

I quirked my head to the side, and she hesitantly opened her eyes and stared at me. Her auburn hair fell into a slack bun at the nape of her neck, loosened and dusty from running in the streets.

"So now you're graveling at the feet of travelers?" a heavy, gruff voice bellowed. The girl leaped to life, snatching the small sack and gripping my leg tightly. I turned to my right, tilting my head up to see eye to eye with a tall, muscular man. He had long, black ears pierced with flecks of gold, and a large flat nose resembling that of an ox.

"P-please help-" the girl whispered, "help me. Please!"

"Come over here. Now," the man tried to coax her, but his voice was too strong and loud by nature to cause any comfort. I saw he had a tight grip on a massive hammer in his right hand, and wore a burnt apron around his neck that tied at the middle and flowed to his shins. Behind that he was garbed in a short sleeve, black cotton shirt and a pair of worn jeans.

"Who are you, and what do you want with the girl?" Yusuke demanded, casually walking forward with a steady, menacing glare in his eyes.

"Don't defend a thief such as her," he shouted, "I'm Oushi, a hard working man. And _she _stole from _my_ smith! I toil greatly for my money, and she takes it without any due labor! All thieves are scum." He turned and spit on the ground, showing his immense disgust.

I smiled; knowing Hiei and Kurama must be grinding their teeth at this man. I was surprised neither of them had lashed out already. Hiei, at least. The girl whimpered, her figure shivering against me. I turned to face him, who had been glaring heatedly at the small child for a time, and hid her from his gaze. At this somewhat bold action he locked eyes with me again.

"If that's how you feel for thieves, I wonder how you think of murderers," I said, flashing a fanged smile at him and reaching for my Sais.

"Don't you dare interfere with my quarrels," Oushi bellowed as he raised his hammer.

My eyes glinted dangerously at him as the shadow of his hammer, the higher he raised it, reached closer to me. The girl broke and began to cry as quietly as she could, her chocked sobs rubbing into my black pants.

"HAAAR!" he screamed as he swung the hammer down. When the shadow of it touched my feet, we were both gone. The girl stumbled forward as the leg she clung suddenly vanished, and she looked around eagerly.

"Kumori!" Yusuke shouted, looking back and forth. "Where'd they go?"

"She's able to handle this," the redhead sighed, instead turning to the little girl.

--

I pushed Oushi against a wall in a very dark alleyway, the top covered with a roof of dry leaves. He grunted and looked around, confused and terrified. The hammer dropped to the ground with a large thud, and I gripped the front of his shirt tighter.

"Fool," I spat, "you think you have the authority to demand something, _anything_, of me?"

He was focused on catching his breath, but nevertheless huffed, "What in seven hells was that? W-Where did we just come from?"

"You just don't listen," I barked, singing his shirt. He breathed deeply as the fire ate through and prickled his skin.

"Let me go," Oushi wheezed, the fire growing and burning his chest. When I ignored his request, he bellowed, "I told you to let me **go!**"

He raised a large hand and batted me across the face, sending me flying into the wall. I gasped as the cement hit my back hard, and slowly slumped to the ground. I blinked my eyes a few times, but my vision was blurred and swaying. Bells rang in my ears, and I lifted a hand to feel for the ground. My head pounded, throbbing in pain.

I strained my eyes to clear and vaguely registered Oushi picking up his hammer. His gruff, low laugh echoed in my head and I slowly stood up to a wobbly stance. I stumbled and fell forward, landing on my hands as air rushed over my back and his hammer slammed into the wall behind me. I heard the clinking of rocks as they tumbled to the pavement and mentally smiled as I realized my senses were coming back.

Taking action I ducked and ran under his legs, sliding to a stop behind him. I turned and blinked, registering the white of his apron and the dark colors of the clothes underneath. He turned around, huffing, and raised his hammer again. I smiled and stepped backward into a large, black shadow.

"Wha-!" I gasped.

_My foot….it won't go in…!_

"No!" I panted, looking upward as Oushi swung his hammer down. I closed my eyes and braced myself. The air that rushed down at me doubled over and pushed back up, followed shortly by a cry of pain.

"YAAAARGH!" Oushi screamed, and I looked up.

"T-Twitchy?" I whispered, seeing the white ferret clamed onto his right arm tightly. No matter how he swung his arm, Twitchy kept a firm hold with his sharp teeth, occasionally scratching with his forearms. He glanced at me, a glint of trust visible.

…_Thanks_

With a grunt of frustration Oushi half turned and pulled his arm back, preparing to smash it into the already crumbling rock wall. Twitchy gave a small whimper, but stayed steadfast. I gasped and reached for them, sprinting desperately. Oushi, smiling, thrust his arm into the wall, splitting stones and hearing the delectable sound of crushing bone. The smell of blood tinted the air and he smiled with a sense of pride.

"Heh…heh heh... heh-YAAAAAA! LET GO!" he screamed, desperately pulling at his arm.

I was at least six inches deep in rubble, blood dripping from my mouth. Twitchy was in my arms, some scratches on him, but otherwise fine. My deadly gaze pierced though, penetrating the darkness surrounding us. The claws on my right hand were buried deep inside Oushi's arm, dragging down as he pulled against my grip.

"Shut up" I growled, a deep, menacing voice echoing in the emptiness of the ally.

His only response was an intolerable scream, a wailing of pain as his pulls caused his own arm to become even more shredded and mutilated. The hammer fell from his other hand, echoing as it hit the concrete. Tears began to flow down his face, and his heartbeats were loud and quick, echoing in my head. I heard it over his brusque huffs, over my deep breathes of tolerating pain.

"I tire of your foolishness. Die."

I raised Twitchy and caught his ruff in my mouth, and in a swift movement and a quick hand stoke, my left hand was through his ribcage and grasping his beating heart. It throbbed, and felt warm and slick with blood. Oushi's gasp was cracked and dieing, and I pulled out just as quickly as I had entered.

Oushi slumped forward, and I fell to one knee. Blood dripped from the hole in his chest, trickling onto my head and coating my hair. I turned to his left arm, the one with my claws in it. With a short tug and a quick moment of pain, my hand was freed.

I crawled out from under his body and felt relieved without his body heat surrounding me so. Carefully I dropped Twitchy and caught him in my left arm, pressing him lightly against my chest. He was sleeping, some drops of Oushi's blood caught in his white fur.

"You're a brave furball, I'll give you that," I whispered, but then sighed at the expense of his courageous act. My right arm was throbbing, and I knew it was broken in at least one place.

"Now, let's find the others and get all this crap out of my hair…"

--

"Thank you," I said, taking the bucket of water from the smiling saleswoman. She had kind gray eyes and ginger hair tied back neatly.

"It is next to nothing to help a traveler. If you'd like, I could wash your clothes as well," she offered.

"No, that's fine," I said, kneeling onto the floor. I lifted the bucket above my head and braced myself before letting the water tip over. It was warm and sudsy, like bath water, so it wasn't that bad. After it had all been emptied I tossed my hair and massaged my scalp to release any other dirt and blood.

Twitchy, who had been lying beside me, slowly opened his eyes as the rivulets of water reached him, wetting his fur. I glanced at him and grabbed the towel I put over him. As I stood up and put the towel over my head, his eyes suddenly snapped open and he leaped to his feet, running like a white streak up the road.

"Oh my, he's gotten loose!" the saleswoman said, but I calmed her, saying, "Don't worry. He'll find his way to Muzei."

"Who's that?" she asked.

"His owner," I responded, rubbing the towel to dry my sodden hair.

"I know many, many people, but not her. What does she look like?" she questioned.

"Short white hair with blue tips, goggles, blue eyes-."

"Lady Shikai!" she shouted, jumping up. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and blushed with embarrassment at the sudden outburst.

"I beg your pardon. It just sounds so much like her Lady Shikai. You see, she's been missing for a day. But that's usual. She usually disappears for a day, but it can last for weeks sometimes. It worries us, since she is the kind hand of the castle. With all do respect to her Lady Aikyou, she's just a bit more masculine. I mean, she fights like a man. Implied that she's more brutal. Ah! I mean-!"

"I get it," I said, smiling at her. She gave a coy smile in return, obviously not meaning to give the least bit disrespect.

"And, besides," I turned to the road Twitchy ran down moments before, "you've just given me a very interesting piece of information."

"I… I did?" the saleswoman stuttered, confused.

"Kumori!"

I turned to my left, and saw Yusuke and Kuwabara running toward me. Without realizing it, I smiled. There was laughter in Yusuke's voice when he came to a stop beside me, asking, "What in the world happened to you?"

I turned to the saleswoman, who was smilling, but felt misplaced among us travelers. "Would you mind excusing us?" I asked, mustering all the politeness I had.

She bowed her head to me, laughing softly while she said, "Of course. Please, leave the towel here when you're done."

Then she turned and walked into her shop, lifting the green colored bamboo screen and disappearing. I turned to Yusuke when I was sure she had left.

"Oushi put up a decent fight," I admitted, shrugging and rubbing the towel against my head again.

"Got hurt?" Yusuke persisted, putting his arm around my shoulders. He squeezed, and I quickly gasped and recoiled from him. I grasped my right arm again, holding my breath until it was released with a strained pant.

"Looks like he put up more then just a decent fight," Kuwabara said, scratching the back of his head.

"It's…" I glanced at Kurama. He was giving me a slightly stern look, his eyes telling me to speak the truth.

I sighed.

"It's broken, or fractured, I can't tell which one. But I can deal with it until we can get out of here," I said, looking around. "Hey, where's ferret girl?"

"Left," Hiei said bluntly.

"Where to?"

"Isn't our concern," he continued, raising an eyebrow at me. "You seem to know something we don't. Talk."

I smiled at him, relishing in that very fact. Ah, and it felt _so_ good.

"I've got a hunch she's not letting us on to who she really is," I said, turning to look everyone in the face seriously, "In fact, I believe she's really Shikai. That saleswoman said 'Muzei' bore a certain resemblance from the description I gave her. The information we have is that Shikai is an ice demon, and Muzei smelt of snow."

"And also stated she carried with her a companion. That could be Twitchy, couldn't it?" Kurama continued.

"Well, darn," Yusuke huffed, putting his hands on his hips and thinking it over. "She was right under our noses and we didn't even notice!"

"That's not all," I said, drawing their attention back to me. "Oushi is a royal undercover guard. I saw a tattoo imprinted on the back of his neck. Besides, I don't know many blacksmiths who can fight as brutally as he did."

"Wow, you get into one fight and you find an undercover guard and the real identity of the Queen. Anyway, now that we know who she really is we can storm the castle, grab her, and go home!" Yusuke said.

"Yeah, Urameshi's got the idea!" Kuwabara shouted, smiling as he threw his fist in the air.

"I'll help too!" came a determined, feminine cry as another, smaller fist was thrown into the air.

I turned and looked, seeing that little girl from before between Kurama and Hiei. I raised an eyebrow and said, "What… is she doing here?"

"Heh, her name's Kouchou, and her mother is a kimono weaver," he said.

Kouchou nodded her head, then ran over to me and latched herself onto my leg. "Please accept my gratitude, Kumori-chan, and let me fight beside you!"

"Kumori-chan, what-?" I stuttered in a terrible mixture of confusion and shock.

"I wanna help save the castle, too! Come on, I can beat up the bad guys!" she laughed, looking up at me with those bright, admiring orange eyes of hers. A fang poked out of the side of her mouth, and two wide kitsune ears perked from the sides of her head. Her tail curled in amusement, making my ear twitch in bewilderment.

"You can't follow me," I frowned at her, shaking my leg. When she didn't make a movement to get off, I began to growl, "You'll die. Do you even understand the meaning of that, yet?"

She blinked her eyes, staring in deep concentration. "I'll… die?" she repeated slowly, running her fingertips across her lips as she said it.

"Yes, the guards of the castle are too strong for someone like you," I continued, only feeling slightly as if I was wrong somewhere as she pondered the morbid thought of death.

"I… don't want to die," she mumbled, loosening her grip on me until she sat on the ground.

"Aaaaw, don't make her sad, Kumori!" Yusuke scolded, kneeling to her level. He pulled the corners of his eyes down, making him look like a zombie.

"Come on, smiiiiiiile," he said, pulling his bottom lids down until tears glazed over his eyes. I smirked at him, restraining a small laugh.

Kouchou stared at him, flickering her tail from side to side. "What on earth are you doing?" she asked, perplexed by his suddenly odd behavior.

Yusuke gave her a smile as he let go, saying, "Get a load of this."

He stood up and put his index finger in his mouth. After a few seconds he took it out, wet with saliva, and looked at me with a dark, evil smile. My smirk died quickly and I began to back up, opening my mouth to scream.

"No you don't!" he shouted, getting me into a headlock with one arm and thrusting the wet finger into my ear, screaming, "WET WILLY!"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I cried, tugging desperately at his iron grip as he swirled the disgusting, wet thing in my head, poking at my brain. I gagged, sticking out my tongue at him as he laughed along with the others. Then he let me go and took his finger out, and I stood where I was, frazzled and still recovering from the brutal assault.

"…Kill… you," I managed to stutter, grabbing the abandoned towel and cleaning out Yusuke's saliva from my ear.

His screams of laughter wrought the air, and he leaned on Kuwabara, who suffered the same fate. Kurama was chuckling, but I could tell he was imagining my aftermath. I looked up, at Hiei, and found that same smug smirk on his face. _One day…_

Then I looked at Kouchou. She was tearing from laughter, trying to reserve it but failing horribly. I found this look on her young face much more satisfying, as apposed to when she mused of death. Of course, this wouldn't detract from my revenge from this little incident. That was yet to be had. But, still…Her cheeks were flushed, and her bright white teeth were flashing, and her orange eyes were brilliant. Her tail was curling in pure bliss, and it looked like she was enjoying herself more then she ever had.

I smiled to myself, putting this into consideration. _Maybe… it was worth it after all_

--

"This way!" Yusuke shouted, pulling us down another road, and we followed doubtlessly. That is, until we came to a split in the road. I stared down both, trying to determine the difference.

"Which way?" Kuwabara asked Yusuke, who scratched his head in confusion.

"I dunno… maybe we should split up and go both?"

"That sounds like a good idea, we could meet up at the end and attract less attention to ourselves. It seems that around here there aren't really and groups of travelers that come often," Kurama suggested.

"Alright," Yusuke said as he turned around and looked us all over, "It'll be Kurama and Hiei, and then me Kuwabara and Kumori. Got it?"

"Great," Kurama said as he and Hiei steered toward the right.

"Good, see you there!" Yusuke said, running down the left side. Kuwabara ran and caught up quickly, and they began to talk right away. I sighed and glanced once down the right lane. The others were already gone.

"Hey! Kumori! You coming?" Yusuke shouted at me. I shot up my head, finding he had stopped, along with Kuwabara, and was looking at me expectantly.

"… Of course!" I shouted back, running and catching up with them quickly.

Yusuke smiled and said, "You were the one who was complaining we weren't moving quick enough, so don't daydream when we are!"

"I was _not_ daydreaming," I said proudly, striding quickly ahead.

"Whatever…" Yusuke couldn't help but smile as he leaned over to Kuwabara. "Betcha she was daydreaming about-"

"I HEARD THAT!" I screamed. As Yusuke and Kuwabara's laughs echoed in the air, I found my lips twisting in a half-hearted smile despite myself.


End file.
